The Current May 13

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CallYOURMOTHERMAY 12

Who IsTheGuy In This Town?

PLUS: Comedy,CultureMusic &

Shakespeare

In Memory Of Dr. Steve Disch

Innovations Improve Hip Replacement

North Fulton Hospital’s Micah Brown Named A Tenet Hero

SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT

THEATER

DATING

AUTHORS

New Sports Columnist!

First Annual BEER Festival

The Second City Hits The Stage

Spotting “Bull” AnImportant Part ofPolitical Process

PLANES, TRAINS, ANDGROCERY STORES

Surprising DelightsFor Local Summer Travel

Area destinations offer a world of variety.

page 26

Nine Fulton high schools areamong the most demanding inthe U.S. and made the TheWashington Post 2013 list of topU.S. high schools. According to aFulton County Schools pressrelease, the High SchoolChallenge list, compiled and pub-lished by The Washington Postsince 1998, ranks the nation’smost challenging high schoolsfor academic rigor. From morethan 22,000 high schools acrossthe nation, the list spotlightsmore than 1,900 high schools,representing the top 9 percent ofhigh schools based on totalstudent participation in highlyrigorous coursework and exams.

Riverwood InternationalCharter School had the highestranking of Fulton’s high schoolson the list, which is based on aformula devised by WashingtonPost education reporter JayMathews. Riverwood was rankedNo. 204 on the 2013 list.National rankings for otherFulton County high schools are:Alpharetta High School, 240;Milton High School, 263; JohnsCreek High School, 317;Northview High School, 342;Chattahoochee High School, 352;Roswell High School, 365; NorthSprings High School, 441; andCentennial High School, 662.“It’s exceptional that so many ofour schools are being recognized

for their academic rigor, butthere’s still more that we can doto challenge students,” saidSuperintendent Robert Avossa inthe release. “It should be our goalthat every high school in FultonCounty be recognized on theHigh School Challenge list.”The Challenge Index measurespublic and private high schools’ability to challenge theirstudents. A school’s ranking isdetermined by dividing the num-ber of college-level tests given bya school to all its students by thenumber of graduates for thatyear. The index is designed toidentify schools that challengeaverage students.

CHARITY

GIVING HELP TOCHILDREN WITHHEARING NEEDS

Twelve-year old JackMcConnell considers himselfblessed. Some people mayconsider that surprisingbecause Jack was born with asevere hearing impairment. But,Jack takes a remarkably expan-sive view of the world.

“I am blessed that I have hadhearing aids since I was aninfant,” he says. “Many peoplearound the world are not so

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Michael FinchHelen KelleyTom Bowen

Lynette HoffmanPhyllis BarronDon Rizzo

Stacy ShadeBeau Bock

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Borocco Restaurant recently opened in Roswell. Alessandra Ortega the general manger (holdingthe scissors) cuts the ribbon. They are located at 555 Atlanta St. in Roswell near Chaplin’s closethe Historic Square.

Brickhouse Pizza recently celebrated their 10th anniversary with a delicious spread during a ceremony.Owners Jodi and Vinny Chieco display some of their delicious delights. Brickhouse is located at 580 E.Crossville Rd. in Roswell. They are open for lunch and dinner as well as catering services.

EDUCATION

NINE FULTON HIGH SCHOOLS MAKEWASHINGTON POST ELITE LIST

CONTINUED 18

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By Beau Bock

The Atlanta Braves have won a WorldSeries, one time the Falcons have beento the Super Bowl, while the Hawksonly wish for, one time. Ever wonderwhy?

Let’s consider who is the mostresponsible and important member of aprofessional sports organization. Is itthe president, general manager, coach,or, the actual playing personnel who ismost responsible for the success or fail-ure of a sports franchise?

I believe it is the individual whoreceives the least amount of blame forfailure and few plaudits for success.That man or woman is the owner.

Think about it. Atlanta, in fact, is atextbook ‘show and tell’ for the purpose-fulness of an owner.

An NFL franchise wasawarded to Atlanta’s RankinSmith in 1966. Mr. Smithwas a well-intentioned man,who hailed from theinsurance industry. He knewnext to nothing about sports,so he installed hisaccountant as the team’s firstgeneral manager. Thankfully,they did know enough tosend former Redskins quar-terback, Eddie LeBaron, toTexas in order to sequester Longhornlinebacker, Tommy Nobis, away frompotentially being drafted by the emerg-ing threat of the American FootballLeague (AFL).

Years later that move proved to bethe most sagacious in the history of theSmith’s ownership. Smith’s sons,Rankin Jr. and Taylor, inherited theteam and were diligent, well-intentioned stewards, but without acompetitive background in any realm,they didn’t have the bones to decipherthe leaders from the followers in thosethey hired.

Over the ensuing years the Falconslucked upon only a handful of generalmanagers and coaches who proved tobe credible leaders. Years afterbabysitting Nobis, LeBaron was hiredas general manager. He had a successfulrun orchestrating the playoff runs in ’78,’80, and 1982. It made perfect sense

that the one innately knowledgeablepersonnel guy the Falcons had over theyears, Tom Braatz, was hired byLeBaron.

The only coaches of the Smith era, ca-pable of molding, motivating, and gameplanning with purpose were Norm VanBrocklin, Jerry Glanville, and DanReeves. Oh, I can hear many of yousighing, “What about LeemanBennett?”

The heart and soul of Leeman’steams was the defense, led by coordina-tor Jerry Glanville. The club hadincredible offensive personnel, but assoon as the Falcons copped a lead,Coach Bennett would tuck our weaponsin a bunker, and it was up to Glanvilleto hold off the horde. Bennett’sconservative nature made Bobby Cox’s

listless Braves, during hisfirst tenure, look like aCalvary charge.

Because of ownership theFalcons’ successes were fewand far between.

Consider today’s Falcons.They are run by a man whostarted his retail empirefrom scratch. He clawed andhumped his way to the top.During that rise, he gatheredknowledge of people’s

strengths and weaknesses, and how todiscern the leaders from the followers.Ownership has brought us to the cuspof the Super Bowl, as well as theformula and foundation for long-termsuccess.

I’m through the roof euphoric overthis year’s Braves edition. The Pepto hasfinally kicked in and we’re beyond theBobby Cox hangover. When you talkabout ownership, the both of Cox’stenures,’78-’81 and ’91 to infinity, wasthe residue of our previous owner TedTurner. I was in Mr. Turner’s office onthe day he decided to fire Bobby in 1981.

“But, he’s such a good guy, Beau. Hehas such a nice family,” lamentedTurner.

Turner felt so bad about lettingBobby go, that he brought him back inan adviser role in 1986 as the franchisecame to grips with the fact that the

Who Is The Guy In This Town?The measure of success starts at the top of an organization.

SportsPerspective

BEAU BOCK

CONTINUED 18

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6MAY 2013

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� Hands-on Math � Experiential Science� Two Language Tracks: Japanese & Spanish� Critical Thinking & Logic Lab � Computer Lab � Enrichment Education � Character Education� Creative Movement �Music � Art � Exploration � Discovery � FUN!

Open House

SaturdayMarch 23, 2013

9:00AM to 11:00AM

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OpenHouse Event

Saturday, May 4, 2013

9:00AM to 1:00PM

Pantry Prose: What’s In A Name?By Mike Finch

There are times when I sit down tocompose my miscellaneous ramblingscolumn when my fingers can hardlytype fast enough to capture the

thoughts I amattempting toconvey. Andthen there aretimes when I sitwith a blankstare as theclock movesever closer to aloomingdeadline. Thisparticularmonth is much

more of the latter.I’m actually standing in front of the

pantry hoping for some sort ofinspiration, as if a potato eye or a canof butter beans is going to offer up ahidden storyline that as of yet haseluded me. Perhaps another spoon

full of peanut butter will help? No, it’snever been proven to increase mentalacuity, but it hasn’t been disproven ei-ther. Now, back to the butter beans.

Butter bean, butter bean! I actuallylike the way that sounds and suddenlyfind myself contemplating changingSweetie’s name. After all it doesn’t re-ally seem to matter which word youput the emphasis on, it still soundslike a cute nickname. BUTTER Beanor butter BEAN—they both work!

Before I make this name change of-ficial, I decided I should do a littleresearch to determine if this legume isa good fit for a nickname for mybetrothed. Thanks to Wikipedia, Ihave learned that the butter bean isknown for its typically creamy whitecolor and slightly curved shape. Bingo,it’s a match! I also was not aware thata legume, such as a butter bean, is ac-tually not a vegetable but isconsidered a class all by itself. Saywhat? My entire life has been filledwith lies. I’ve been told to eat my veg-

etables when what was actually on myplate was a small pile of legumes.

I’m now questioning other thingsI’ve always taken for granted, likeSanta Claus, the Easter Bunny, andperhaps the 1969 Moon Landing.Furthermore, my research indicatesthat beyond gun control, federaldeficits, and the social issues of theday, another, even more pressingdebate rages on among experts. Thatis, whether or not the butter bean isactually just a variety of lima bean?It’s hard to imagine this issue has yetto be settled, but due to someuncanny genetic similarities betweenthe two, the legume authorities arestill in a state of disagreement.

Even with this ongoing debate, Istill think it a fitting nickname, and sohave introduced the idea to Sweetie.She didn’t take to it as I had hoped.She actually came up with a newname or two for yours truly, including“butter ball,” which I’m pretty sure isbased on certain spherical similarities

she has recently commented onregarding my physique.

Perhaps my habit of blankly staringinto the pantry has become more thana natural journey for inspiration.Instead, it has become a pathway tothe dark side of Fritos and Girl Scoutcookies. Perhaps Sweetie’s name is de-rived from who she is and what shedoes rather than what sounds cute.

Although, “Sweet Potato” does havea nice ring! �Mike Finch can be reached at

[email protected] RamblingsMIKE FINCH

ButterBean?

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By Matthew W. Quinn

Looking to find a job or businessleads? North Fulton and East Cobbhave plenty of networkingopportunities.

Greater North Fulton Chamber ofCommerce Director of MembershipServices Deborah Lanham said the or-ganization tries to work networkinginto all its events, but its weeklyProAlliance events are specifically dedi-cated to the purpose. Their locationalternates between GNFCC headquar-ters in Alpharetta and the EmoryJohns Creek Hospital. Theheadquarters meetings typically attract50 to 60 people, while the EJC eventsare more intimate with 20 to 25.

At these meetings, participantsbreak up into small groups. Each mem-ber gets two minutes to present totheir group. Once this ends, two mem-bers selected the previous meeting geta chance to make a six-minute presen-tation, which often includesPowerPoint, to the entire group. Thenevery participant can present to thewhole group for 30 seconds.

Those who are devoted tonetworking or use it as part of theirmarketing strategy find these meetingsa must. They build relationships andfriendships to help each other get leadsand improve the delivery of their mes-sage.

“ProAlliance events are designed forpeers to help each other,” Lanham said.

These events are particularly usefulfor new members. Every type of

business, from information technologyto print shops to banks, is represented.Lanham said one member reportedher business had increased 80 percentsince joining the chamber andattributed 60 percent of that to theProAlliance events. From others, shehears that each meeting producesthree to five new leads.

Something special about the weeklymeetings is that participants need notcollect business cards. Instead, partici-pants’ contact information is printedon a sheet that everyone gets.

In addition to ProAlliance events,the chamber also holds monthly LunchConnections with speakers. The speak-ers provide guests with information onhow to improve their businesses, andguests can network at the table.

Roswell NEXT, an organizationintended to get young professionalmore involved in the Roswell commu-nity, also offers networkingopportunities. Founder MichaelHadden said the organization has a bi-monthly “What’s NEXT Roswell”social and networking event featuringdrinks and appetizers. The Marchevent had the theme of arts in the com-munity. A member of the cultural artsboard talked about how people couldget involved in the board’s activitiesand how Roswell could become an artscommunity. The next one will takeplace in May at the ChattahoocheeNature Center.

The group’s signature event is TownHall Roswell, a presentation in panelformat. Speakers will

8MAY 2013

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Many Networking Opportunities Close By

From left, Ron Cohen, David Clarke, and Raheel Malik network at Pastis on Canton Street.

CONTINUED 10

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present on interesting topics at anevent that is open to the public. Thereis an admission fee, however.

“We’re trying hard to make this funand focus on getting our membersinvolved in the community, specificallyin Roswell,” he said.

Hadden said he isn’t tracking howmuch business is generated for partici-pants at these events, but he does knowthat people have been selected forboards within the city. Theorganization has 75 members so far.

“Roswell Business Connections is anevent that takes place once a month,the second Tuesday of the month, atPastis,” said organizer NicoleO’Donohue.

O’Donohue described RBC as “opennetworking.” Anyone can participaterather than set numbers of people fromeach profession. She wants to provide avenue where people can come and net-work. Not only is it a business event,but it is an attempt to build acommunity. People can make friendsand build a referral network.

RBC began in December 2010.

O’Donohue did not charge admission,but only five to seven people typicallyshowed up for meetings. She nearlygave up.

“Meetup.com actually helped me alot,” she said.

Her sister Daniel Eckert told herabout Meetup.com, which allowspeople with similar interests to form orjoin groups. RBC’s one-yearanniversary turned out to be a big hitand O’Donohue continued for thesecond year. The current membershipis 506 and she hopes to hit 600 by theend of the year, slowly but surely.

She estimates RBC has generatedthousands of dollars in business for itsmembers. A friend of hers got a lowerinsurance rate from an agent she metat RBC, while she personally hasvisited chiropractor Cara Iovino aftermeeting her at RBC. The event featuresreal estate agents, insurance andjewelry salesmen, cosmetics dealers,and home renovation companies likeAttention To Detail Home Remodelers,all looking for business.

Also advertising throughMeetup.com is East Cobb’s CobbSuccess Masters, founded

approximately eight years ago.Secretary and Treasurer Dave Kappersaid it is a chapter of BNI, aninternational networking group. Theorganization meets every Tuesdaymorning from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. atBaked, a restaurant serving home-cooked meals on Johnson Ferry Roadacross the street from the East CobbPublix. Meetings celebrate successesduring the week. Members must doone of three things each week: bring aqualified referral to the meeting, refersomeone as a qualified referral toanother member or bring a visitor, orhave a one-to-one conversation withthe member. The idea is to get to knowother members’ businesses to generatereferrals.

“We create the givers’ gamephilosophy,” he said. “Everyone has theidea of ‘how can I help others out’ or‘how can I grow their business’ by pass-ing qualified referrals.”

When everyone has this philosophyand dedication, everyone wins. Thegroup’s philosophy is that “lead is afour-letter word.” A lead can be as sim-ple as someone to cold-call. A qualifiedreferral involves a member describing a

fellow member’s business to potentialclients. Members almost become sales-people for each other. If a potentialclient has interest, they’re passed along.

“The members, we know each otherso well that when we pass referrals toeach other, the sale is already made,” hesaid.

On a group level, Success Mastershas generated $700,000 to $800,000in business for its clients during theBNI year, which runs from Oct. 1 toSept. 30.

BNI is a “closed” group. Only onemember per profession is allowed—thegroup has one certified public account-ant, one photographer, one webdesigner, etc. The group is always look-ing for new members, provided they’renot in categories already taken.

“There are a lot of differentprofessions still missing from our chap-ter we would love to add,” he said.

Aspiring members from professionsthat are already taken are referred toother local BNI groups who mightneed them.

Networking... continued15

By Michael Hadden

When was the last time you visited apark? We are blessed with great parkshere in our area. In fact, the RoswellRecreation and Parks Department hasbeen named Agency of the Year by theGeorgia Recreation & ParkAssociation a record eight times, lastreceiving the award in 2011.Alpharetta also won the award in 2011for the mid-size city category. Some ofthe great parks in our area includeRiverside, Roswell Area, Wills,Overlook, the Big Creek Greenway,and the ChattahoocheeNational Recreation Area.

What do these all havein common? They are des-tination parks. Mostvisitors drive to them. Now,there’s nothing inherentlywrong with destinationparks, but when you lackthe other types of parks,your city can certainlybecome boring, not to men-tion difficult to navigate forsome folks. Think aboutthis: Can you walk to a public park inten minutes or less? If you are in thehistoric district, that answer is proba-bly yes. I’m fortunate to be able towalk to five and if you count thegrounds at Barrington and Bulloch,seven. Unfortunately, most of us don’thave that type of park proximity.

How can our cities increase park ac-cess for all? Well, what most of thecities of North Fulton are lacking iseasy access to small neighborhoodparks, sometimes called pocket parks.These are the types of parks whereneighbors bump into each other whileon a stroll. The kind where kids can ac-tually go without a parental escort,maybe gaining some confidence andindependence in the process. The kindthat have buildings lining the edgesdefining the space and creating a senseof place. Unfortunately, we’ve largelyforgotten about public neighborhoodparks out here in the ‘burbs. We forgotabout them in favor of big yards andlawnmowers. We traded traditionalneighborhoods with walkable parksfor our easy, no hassle, happy-motoring access to all the happinessthat stuff in strip malls provides us.

Roswell is a great case study. Wehave no fewer than 22 parks in thecity. Of those there are 11 linear parks,5 district parks, one nationalrecreation area, and six “small urbanparks” as the city refers to them. Youmight be surprised by their names:City Hall, Heart of Roswell, SloanStreet, Terramont, Town Square, andTriangle Parks.

That is a respectable number ofparks with a diverse range of types to-taling over 900 acres. Add to thatRoswell’s commitment to preserveover 5,000 acres of green space

(including but not limited toparks) and you have a citythat is serious about parks.Well, serious about destina-tion parks. We have the“small urban parks” but eventhose six can be a challengeto walk to which limits theirutility.

Three of the six areadjacent to Hwy 9 andanother is adjacent toHolcomb Bridge Rd. For the

most part, they don’t serve a neighbor-hood and are actually smallerdestination spaces. Actually, only one,Sloan Street Park, could really be con-sidered a neighborhood ‘pocket park’and not surprisingly, it’s the only onewith a playground.

What makes it unique is that it is fo-cused on the people that live and workaround it while also being useful to allages. It should serve as inspiration forthe next generation of parks inRoswell. We can start focusing onbuilding true neighborhoods with cozywalkable parks where neighbors cangather and kids can play with friendswithout calling it a ‘play date.’

Now, neighborhood parks soundwarm and fuzzy, but public moneyspent on parks would be betterutilized by the private sector, right?Wrong. A well maintained network ofpublic parks supports property values,boosts the local economy, increases so-cial capital, improves public health,and helps preserve the environment.One of the best examples of a park cre-ating value is our nation’s mostfamous park, Central Park. Frederick

11MAY 2013

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13MAY 2013

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by Helen K. Kelley

Now that the chill of early spring isgiving way to balmier days and nights,there's no better place in Roswell tocelebrate the return of warm weatherthan the Chattahoochee NatureCenter. A nonstop schedule of fun andeducational events is planned for allages, and now's the time to mark yourcalendars so you don't miss a minuteof it!Music Under the StarsThe Home By Dark concert series,

hosted by singer-songwriter JamesCasto, has grown into one of the mostpopular songwriter series in America.At each show, Casto welcomes some ofAmerica’s best songwriters andmusicians performing in a Nashville-style songwriters-in-the-round format.You’ll hear the stories behind thesongs and enjoy acoustic music in itspurest form, performed by the writers.

“Home by Dark is a songwriters/sto-rytellers concert event unlike anythingyou’ve probably seen,” said Casto.“Incredible performing songwritersare teamed with A-listinstrumentalists for an evening of ‘a-ha’ moments that truly happen oncein a lifetime.”

The series opens May 3 with ChasSandford and Nicole Wit. Upcomingconcerts are scheduled for June 7, July5, August 2, Sept. 6, and Oct. 4. Allshows start at 8 p.m. and the doorsopen 90 minutes prior for picnics.Book a table for two, four, six, or eight,invite family and friends, bring food

and beverages, and enjoy anincredible night of music under theBen Brady Pavilion on the beautifulgrounds of the CNC.

For info on tickets and reserving ta-bles, visit homebydark.com or call678.665.0040.Feature of the MonthDid you know that CNC sponsors a

signature event each month? Bringthe whole family for the following spe-cial activities this summer.Water Works, Saturday, June 22,

11a.m – 3 p.m. Dive into wet and wildactivities all about water. Join Bo theBubblologist in creating huge bubbles,super long bubbles, bubble chains,square bubbles, and bubbles inbubbles, enjoy story time with MissJulia, or try your hand at making fishrubbings or decorating mud cakeswith Farmer Sue of the ArtBarn. Canyou float pennies? How high can youstand water above the rim of a glass?Maybe you have what it takes to winthe Water Olympics! And don't forgetto bring your towel—the CNCsprinkler shoots water 12 feet into theair and is sure to get you soaked. Flying Colors Butterfly

Festival, Saturday, July 13, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. and Sunday, July 14,12 p.m. – 5 p.m. Get nose to probosciswith hundreds of free flying, nativebutterfly species in the temporary livebutterfly exhibit. Learn how you canattract these beautiful creatures toyour garden—butterfly host and

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Enjoy an outdoor adventure on the Chattahoochee River on one of Chattahoochee Nature Center's guided excursions.

14MAY 2013

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By Matthew W. Quinn

Atlanta attorney Loren Collins has writ-ten a book about how to discern truthfrom rumor or even outright lies, some-thing informed voters need to knowhow to do.

Collins’ book Bullspotting emergedfrom his involvement in debunking“birther” conspiracy theories about thecitizenship of U.S. President BarackObama. He wanted to turn that workinto a book, perhaps using “birtherism”as a hook to teach people about criticalthinking and skepticism. Readerswould know how to spot misinforma-tion and avoid falling victim to it.

The book turned into a field guide tothe different types of misinformationcommon in our society. Collins uses alldifferent types of conspiracies anddenialism in his book, not justbirtherism. These include people whoclaim the Apollo moon landing neverhappened, that the Earth is 6,000 yearsold, that aliens secretly rule the Earth,alien abductions, alternative medicines,and people who claim to havedisproven the theory of relativity.

There are many reasons people fallfor misinformation. People will morereadily believe information thatconfirms things they already believeand are reluctant to accept things thatcall their prior beliefs into question,something called “confirmation bias.”People’s internal biases also come intoplay—even if they read somethingfactual, they will misremember it ormisconstrue it. Studies show peoplewho read articles disproving a rumorand when quizzed later, they’llremember the rumor, not thedebunking.

“That can be a major obstacle when itcomes to correcting misinformationthat people have absorbed,” Collins said.“That’s why I thought it was sort of animportant thing to teach people how toavoid falling for it in the first place.”

Oftentimes people too readily believethings they hear from a source theytrust without checking whether thesource is credible in the first place or ifthe source has done its due diligence.This is especially problematic in the

Internet age, when information goesout so quickly. Major newsorganizations can put out early reportsand later correct them, but the initial er-roneous reports can still live on. Thismakes updating a story quicklyessential—although the New York Postinitially reported a death toll of 12 forthe Boston Marathon bombing and thata Saudi man was in custody, this wascorrected within hours.

Falling for misinformation can beharmful in a number of ways.Pseudoscience often is peddled by

people claiming to be outsidersexcluded by “Big Medicine,” but they’reusually trying to sell something thatdoesn’t work. Those who fall for thislose money and time and if it’s amedical matter, they can pay with theirhealth or lives. People often lose theirmoney to scams because they’re notthinking critically about what’s in frontof them and fall for the lure of money.This applies to the simple Nigerianscams or to something like BernieMadoff’s elaborate Ponzi scheme.

Critical thinking is especiallyimportant with politics, since it’s full ofpeople who might not be outright lyingbut are spinning facts, framing an issuea certain way, or leaving out relevant in-formation to persuade people.

Misconceptions can negatively influ-ence public policy—communities haverejected fluoridation of water or evenabandoned it after initially embracing it

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More fresh fruits and vegetables,whole grains, and an emphasis onlocally-grown food are changing themenus of local school cafeterias.

Fulton County Schools ExecutiveDirector of School Nutrition AlyssiaWright said over the last several years,the school system knew there wouldbe a push for healthier food and morefruits and vegetables. In 2010Congress passed a child nutrition billthat went into effect in 2012 thatimposed new federal regulations man-dating healthier food.

“Even before that, Fulton Countywas ahead of the curve with many ofthe menu changes that were made,”she said.

For example, Fulton County was of-fering fat-free and 1 percent milkbefore federal regulations required it.The school system already offeredfoods with more whole grains andfood with zero grams of trans fat. Theschool system reduced the sodiumcontent in food before initial anti-sodium requirements went into effectand is reducing sodium further inanticipation of new rules going into ef-fect in 2015.

Other changes being made includeno fried foods being offered in elemen-tary schools. The frying of food isbeing reduced in the middle and highschools as well. One new regulationimposes a maximum calorie count,and the school is meeting that. Theschool system is offering largerportions of fruits and vegetables andmore legumes. Students are requiredto put a fruit or vegetable on their trayevery day. Fresh fruits are offered forbreakfast and lunch.

The school system is attempting topurchase more foods locally andregionally and buy more frozen andfresh food rather than canned food.The school system is also offering dailyvegetarian entrees, including blackbean salad, black bean and cheese en-chilada, black bean taco salad, cheesequesadilla with roasted vegetables,and, new this year, lentil soup. The a

la carte line is offering healthierchoices like fruit cups, yogurt parfaits,celery sticks with hummus, 100percent fruit juices, and bottled water.

Although the healthier food has costmore money, Fulton County Schoolshave met requirements imposed bythe US Department of Agriculture.This has gained the school system$0.06 per meal, which translated to$200,000 from October 2012 untilFebruary. The total cost of the changesexceeds the additional money slightly,but Wright said the ultimate goal isimproving the students’ health.

As far as local food is concerned, theschool system worked with producevendors to locate farmers and findfresh, local produce in sufficient quan-tities to feed Fulton’s students. Thecounty buys its fresh produce fromfarmers in Lake Park, Thomasville,and Bainbridge. Produce purchasedincludes collard greens, cabbage,celery, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers,and watermelon.

“Generally parents are pleased tosee more whole grains, more freshfruits and vegetables,” Wright said.“They’re happy with the fact we’reoffering less fried foods and we’reoffering a larger variety of healthy op-tions for their children.”

Since FCS offers a wide variety ofhealthy foods and different fruits andvegetables, students feel they have achoice and can find something they’denjoy. The school system hasconducted taste tests in the schools tosee how students received particularitems.

“We’re always looking at our menusto incorporate healthy options,” saidCobb County Nutrition and WellnessSupervisor Kelley Toon.

The Cobb Co. school menu includesa strong focus on local options. Whenlooking to buy produce, the school sys-tem attempts to buy in Georgia or aneighboring state when possible. Eachmonth the menu features a differentlocal item, with information such asthe farm it came from and nutritional

MAY 2013see thecurrentplus.com for more community • out & about • music • food • garden • real estate • business • health & wellness • life 15

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Local Schools’ Food GettingHealthier, More Local

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MAY 2013see thecurrentplus.com for more business • out & about • community • music • food • garden • real estate • health & wellness16

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By Elaine LaMontagne

“East Cobb Baseball has the best ama-teur baseball program on the planet,”proclaimed Baseball Americamagazinea few short years ago. This year, NorthAtlanta baseball was reinforced by thesame magazine, which proclaimedCobb County, South Florida, andSouthern California the top threemarkets in the country for youthbaseball programs and development.

How did this phenomenon happen? Irecently sat down with baseball enthusi-asts and business partners ChiefFinancial Officer Jay Andrews andChief Operating Officer David Carr of 6-4-3 DP Athletics and spoke with EastCobb Baseball Academy owner ChanceBeam to discuss the area’s baseball his-tory and current state of the industry.

Carr, who played baseball at WaltonHigh School and Rhodes College, wherehe studied sports management,attributed East Cobb’s baseball strengthto, “A combination of Atlanta’s mildweather, the success of East Marietta’s1983 National League World SeriesChampionship, the rise of TBSSuperstation and the Atlanta Braves(which became known as “America’sTeam”), and a decision by GuerryBaldwin sparked the initial formationof something very special in thiscommunity. Baldwin took the playersfrom that championship team andstarted East Cobb Baseball (ECB) at thefield on the corner of Johnson Ferryand Lower Roswell Roads.”Subsequently, ECB built state of the artfacilities a few miles further north inEast Cobb, but interestingly, that singlefield in prime real estate property iswilled to ECB as long as they are in oper-ation.

Perhaps we can call it the “Big BangTheory of North Atlanta Baseball.”Infused in a demographic area knownfor high achievement in academics andathletics, with the economic ability offamilies to support their childrenimprove, whatever their skill sets, youthbaseball has had a 30-plus year stretchof growth, maturation and success—theenvy of much of the rest of the country.

Success breeds success. As youth pro-grams flourished in recreational parks,the schools in the area becamedominant. Booster clubs along withcounty funds continued to reinvest inproperty and teams. Travel teamsbecame a significant branch of the base-ball culture and deepened the skills ofthe players and the level ofcommitment to the sport. Noteworthy,the rise of new governing bodies oftravel teams, programs andtournaments (i.e. Dizzy Dean, Pony,Triple Crown, USSSA and Perfect Gameevents) actually diluted the strength ofthe Little League World Series, whichwas previously the only game in town.ECB travel teams and other NorthAtlanta programs became well knownand often feared when slated to play.The “business of baseball” expanded ex-ponentially with multiple trainingfacilities to enhance skills, better equip-ment and products supplying more andmore teams, individual coaching oppor-tunities, as well as an abundance ofclinics and tournaments drawing localplayers and teams from around the U.S.

Another positive by-product hasbeen that baseball fields at many NorthAtlanta schools rival and in some casesexceed many college facilitie—fromLassiter to Pope, Milton to Walton,Roswell to McEachern. Private facilitiesare known to be pristine.

“When out-of-towners come to ourpark at the Aviation Sports Complex,they are amazed at the cleanliness andmaintenance of the fields, seating, bath-rooms and training sites. We take greatpride in our environment, just anotheraspect of trying to do things right,”Andrews said.

There is a variety of business entitiesengaged in the baseball world in thesuburbs, from small to large, from gen-eral to specialized. Following is a basicbreakdown:• County Recreation Parks, which

have outdoor fields for play.Examples include East Side, SandyPlains, East Marietta, Roswell, Wills,and Hopewell Parks.

• Full-service facilities, whichhave outdoor fields for play, indoor fa-

The Business Of Baseball In The Burbs

North Atlanta still a national powerhouse

cilities for instruction, and practicefor individuals and teams, organizedclinics, tournaments, and showcaseevents. The only two in NorthAtlanta are ECB and 6-4-3 DPAthletics.

• Indoor training facilities,which are typically in retail centersproviding year-round training and in-struction. Examples includeWindward Baseball Academy, GrandSlam Sports Center and Catch & Hitin Alpharetta, Sports-A-Rama inEast Cobb and Cage Rage in Roswell.

• Independent trainers that tutorindividuals and/or train entire teamsat various locations based on theirprofessional experience. Oneexample is Jeff Auterson Baseball inAlpharetta—please see sidebar belowfor his refreshing perspective.It’s interesting to learn some

background and scope of the two full-service baseball programs in thetri-county vicinity. ECB and ECBAcademy (the instructional arm of thefacility) is home to 87 teams, eightoutdoor fields, six indoor and 11

outdoor batting cages, and two indoortraining buildings. They teach approxi-mately 1,400 student-athletes, employseven full-time and five part-timeemployees, and manage hundreds ofvolunteers. Renowned for drawing veryelite players, many of whom intend toplay in college and beyond, ECB has ahistory in the business since 1985 and asignificant image throughout the coun-try. Notable, one of several leagueswithin ECB is the Patriot League thatfeatures players particularly strong inboth academics and baseball to preparefor certain caliber colleges. Baldwin isthe founder/owner of ECB and ChanceBeam has been the owner of the ECBAcademy for 10 years.

6-4-3 DP Athletics houses 24 teams,3 outdoor fields with seating for 525(400 covered), five indoor and sixoutdoor batting cages, and an indoortraining building. It teachesapproximately 800 student-athletes,employs six full-time, three part-timeand 50 seasonal associates, plus 16 inde-pendent professional instructors and 70volunteer coaches. President DannyPralgo, a former player and instructorfor many years, envisioned a full servicesports organization with old-school val-ues focused on teaching, developingand assisting youth more than prioritiz-ing profits. The previous park had beenabandoned for years and in terrible con-dition, but the partnership of Pralgo,Andrews, and Carr joined efforts in2008 with the City of Marietta to refur-bish and rebuild the grounds, buildingsand parking area. It is now one of themost beautiful baseball parks in the re-gion. They pride themselves onwelcoming and developing players frominexperienced to elite, and have keptthe number of teams to a modest num-ber in order to prioritize a qualityamount of time for team and individualtraining. Their inclusive approachencourages student-athletes to playother sports if they so desire, but ask fora serious commitment during thespring/summer season which spellsbaseball.

Both organizations are year-long pro-grams which have assembled leadersfor their love of the game, to work in ahealthy, proactive environment for chil-dren, within a financially viablebusiness model. Owners of both agreethat three components are key for busi-

MAY 201317see thecurrentplus.com for more business • out & about • community • music • food • garden • real estate • health & wellness

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June3-7, 10-14, 17-21, 24-28 July8-12, 15-19, 22-26, andJuly 29-Aug 2Pricing per class$150 one week$250 two weeks$375 three weeks$450 four weeks

CONTINUED 38

A resident of Alpharetta, Jeff Auterson was drafted outof North Vista High School in Riverside, California toplay for the Los Angeles Dodgers. After five years hewent with the Colorado Rockies. His message aboutplaying baseball: “It’s just a game.”Don’t get him wrong, he loves the game, but he teachesfrom a different perspective than how he was groomedas a youngster. He was raised to think life was baseballand baseball was life—a complete setup for failure,according to Auterson. In a sport where the best in thegame fail 70 percent of the time at bat, you have tolearn to deal with failure and the inevitability that oneday baseball will end.Upon visiting family in Alpharetta a few years ago,Auterson was blown away by the parks, incredibleindoor training facilities (unheard of in California), andthe plethora of advanced programs. He was a simplesandlot kid who wore jeans to little league games…When he retired, he decided to move to North Atlantaand share his coaching skills and a philosophy ofredefining the myth. He is an ideal example of anindependent segment of the business which travels tovarious parks and training facilities to coach individualsand teams on the clients’ turf. Auterson, along with fivefellow instructors bring their baseball skills and aconsistent message of empathy to their relationshipswhen training at clinics and lessons with kids and othercoaches. He believes baseball has its purpose, and itspurpose is learning the right way to handle failure –

“Leverage the pain to play the game of baseball andlife well.”www.AutersonBaseball.com 678-297-0936 [email protected]

A KINDER, GENTLERBASEBALL MESSAGE

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Who Is The Guy.. continued4

Briefs.. continued2

fortunate. Jack is the son of Tanya and Matt

McConnell and the grandson ofHorseshoe Bend residents, Vicki andGary Yernick in Roswell.

Jack has decided to go beyondsimply expressing his gratitude for his“blessings.” He has decided to help oth-ers who are not so fortunate. Throughan audiologist, he found out about atrip to Ghana planned by a group ofprofessionals from Utah StateUniversity. They are going to villages toconduct tests on children who mayhave hearing problems. Jack signed onto the trip and he has been solicitingthe North Fulton area for used hearingaids to bring with him. He is alsoasking for sports jerseys in good condi-tion to pass out as gifts to the childrenhe meets.

In preparation for his trip, Jack iscollecting hearing aids fromaudiologists throughout Atlanta. Healso wants to collect sports jerseys totake to the kids in Ghana. For more in-formation, please call 770-841-5154.

FUND RAISER

ROSWELL WOMAN’S CLUBPRESENTS ROCKIN’ROSWELL CHAIRITY EVENT

Seventy seven gorgeous, hand-paintedAdirondack rocking chairs will be auc-tioned off by the Roswell Woman’sClub on June 1st. Chairs are displayedthroughout North Fulton at locationssuch as Voila Salon, Lucky’s Burgerand Brew, Bank of North Georgia, andThe Chandlery. Each beautifullypainted by a local artist, the 64 adult-sized rockers and 13 child-sized chairseach have their own unique theme. Topurchase a chair, bid online atwww.biddingforgood.com/rwc and at-tend the event on June 1st! The“CHAIRity Event” will be held in thebeautiful new showroom at NalleyToyota of Roswell. Included in theevent’s festivities are heavy hors d’oeu-vres by Talk of the Town Catering anddancing to music DJ’ d by GregTalmadge. Several chairs will beavailable only by live auction at theevent on June 1st, which will featurethe live auctioneering talent of GordonShiflett.Roswell Woman’s Club supports localnon-profits and awards college scholar-ships to deserving high school seniorseach year. Events tickets are $75 perperson, and can be purchased atwww.roswellwomansclub.org

Attorney At LawFormer Sta1 Attorney

Social Security AdministrationOver 30 Years [email protected]

770-425-1838248 Roswell St. SE, Marietta

Michael J. Brewster, P.C.

Social SecurityDisability &Long Term Disability

entire organization had to be revamped.Ted Turner’s sense of competition comes from sailing boats. Buy the fastest

boat means you win. It doesn’t work quite like that when you add the componentof human motion.

If the organization can keep current general manager, Frank Wren, in place,the on field product will be pretty good, but what makes you wince is that theBraves have no owner. Oh, the ownership papers are stashed in a corporate vaultsomewhere, but Liberty Media, simply sets an annual baseball budget, and aslong as the team doesn’t lose value, and keeps appreciating, they’re as happy asDonald Trump’s barber.

The Hawks? The Hawks are a mess and it’s easy to understand why. Aconglomeration of daddy’s money sports dilettantes, who thought it would be coolto own a basketball and hockey franchise, bought them.

That group has made two significant moves. The first is forfeiting the city’sNational Hockey League franchise, which, in effect, is a mortal sin. And thesecond is to hire Danny Ferry as the Hawks’ general manager. Ferry will prove tobe a significantly sage move for this Erector Set ownership group.

The Hawks, as we know them today, are about to be dissolved. The head coach,and his staff will be jettisoned, most of the players will be allowed to become freeagents, and the franchise will begin anew.

Ownership is the most overlooked aspect of professional sports success. Let’shope that the Hawks get that and let Ferry do his job. Who knows—maybe in afew years we can say the Hawks finally accomplished something.

By Debbie Keel

When I interviewed for the ChiefExecutive Officer position at NorthFulton Hospital in the summer of 2009,I was fairly certain I had a good shot atgetting it. A longtime employee of Tenet,which operates the hospital, I also had alot of experience developing andrunning neurosurgery programs. Whilethere are many outstanding clinicalservice lines at NFH, neurosurgery isthe undisputed star.

So I wasn’t surprised to hear that in afull day of interviews, my first, at 7 a.m.that morning, was with a neurosurgeon.Well, not just any neurosurgeon, but Dr.Steve Disch.

There’s a longstanding belief amonghospital executives that surgeons, partic-ularly neurosurgeons, can frequently be,let’s say, difficult to deal with. So Isteeled myself for the interview with Dr.Disch by getting a good night’s sleep theevening before, showing up early for theinterview and downing a giant cup ofvery strong coffee.

As it turned out, I didn’t need any ofthose things. A warm handshakefollowed by “Hi Deb” put meimmediately at ease. Of all the nice peo-ple I met in Roswell that day, he was byfar the nicest.

After 25 years of leading our extraor-dinary neurosurgery program at NFH,Dr. Disch has passed away, leaving agiant hole in our hospital’s heart and aneven bigger one in this community. Hedied unexpectedly in his hometown ofNew Glarus, WI, after driving hisparents back home after a recent visit.He is survived by his wife Colleen andtwo daughters, Ashton and Taylour, andhis parents.

He is also survived by thousands ofpatients whose lives he touched in hiscareer as a neurosurgeon. He operatedon hundreds of them in OperatingRoom 7 at North Fulton Hospital. Hegave trauma patients back their lives

and spine patients back their ability tolive their lives. By all accounts, he was ameticulous surgeon. By those sameaccounts, he treated staff who workedwith him with the utmost respect andcourtesy.

When there was discussion aboutwhether or not a community traumawas really necessary in North Fulton, hefirmly supported the trauma service atNorth Fulton Hospital. He saw a needfor a new Neurosciences ProgressiveCare Unit, where patients received theneuro care they needed outside of thescary confines of the Intensive CareUnit and we established one. Heexpressed a need to expand the servicesof his group, Spectrum Neurosurgery, toother communities in North FultonCounty. We were just beginning to dothat when he left us… but will continueto do so in his memory. There are twooutstanding young physicians hementored within the group, Dr. CharlesWeaver and Dr. Thomas Belknap, andthey will be joined by doctors of equaldistinction to offer outstandingneurosurgery services to areas north,south, east and west of Roswell.

About a week after I started as theCEO of NFH, I attended a largecommunity meeting to speak about thehospital, about which I knew very littleat the time. But when I asked theaudience for questions, I got my firsttaste of the Dr. Disch legacy. A manraised his hand and said “You have aneurosurgeon there that saved my wife’slife.” I would hear stories like that reiter-ated in the community throughout mytimes here. They have reached acrescendo since his death.

We will all miss him, his laugh, hisever-present smile, his easy mannerwith patients and family, the way hetreated our hospital staff and the peoplehe worked with in his practice….and Iwill miss hearing “Hi Deb” wheneverhe greeted me.

health wellness&presented by North Fulton Hospital

In Memory Of Our Friend, Dr. Steve Disch

North Fulton Hospital Community Calendar May – July 2013

SUPPORT GROUPS Nicotine Cessation GroupEvery Tuesday, 6:30 to 7:30p.m., Classroom C. Join withother men and women seekingmotivation, education and sup-port to live free of nicotine. Theonly requirement for atten-dance is the desire to start thejourney. Contact Pam at 404-428-8799 for more information.

Look Good, Feel Better Wednesday, 5/8, , 10 a.m. tonoon, Medical Arts Center. Acosmetologist will discuss howto care for skin and hair to com-bat the appearance-relatedside effects of cancer treat-ment. Free make-up and skincare products are provided.Call Ryan at 404-582-6153 to register.

Caring, Sharing, andLearning: Breast CancerSupport Group Fourth Tuesday of every month,6 p.m. Cope and connect withothers who are facing the samestruggles. Please call MicahBrown, RN, Breast HealthNurse Navigator, at 770-751-2556 to register.

WomenHeart Support Group Second Tuesday of everymonth, 7:30 p.m., Classroom C.WomenHeart, the NationalCoalition for Women withHeart Disease, brings supportand education to women whoare at risk or who already haveheart disease and would like toknow more about risk factorsand symptoms. We will be ad-dressing different topics eachmonth. To register, call Nicki at 404-386-6037.

Ostomy Support Group Third Tuesday of every month,6:30 p.m., Classroom C. Thisgroup is open to anyone whohas or will have an ostomy andany friends, family or support-ers. The meeting structure is in-formal with group discussionand guest speakers to be sched-

uled at various times through-out the year. Call John Dorso at678-694-8726 to register orfor information.

COMMUNITYEDUCATIONBabysitting Workshop Saturdays 5/18 and 6/1 9am-2pm. Teaches children ages 11-14 how to be prepared andresponsible babysitters. Bring adoll or stuffed animal and a sacklunch and drink. $30.

American HeartAssociation Heartsaver

CPR Saturday,7/13. CPRcourse forthe com-munity.Adult and

child CPR, 9 a.m. to noon; $35 Adult, child and infant CPR, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; $45.

Healthcare Provider CPRSaturday, 6/8, 9:00 a.m. to1:00 p.m. and Friday June 281:30 pm-4:30 pm. CPR coursefor healthcare professionals.$55.

First AidSaturday, 5/4, 9 a.m. to noon, Learn basic first aid proceduresand techniques. $25/person.

Diabetes Self-Management Workshop Saturday, 5/18, 6/22, and 7/27The Diabetes Association of At-lanta (DAA) offers classes atNorth Fulton Hospital to teachdiabetes self-managementskills. Call Katie for more infor-mation and to register.404-527-7180

Childbirth Preparation Saturday, 5/11 6/15, and 7/209:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Active class consisting of bothlecture and discussion/sharing.Topics include anatomy andphysiology; nutrition and fitness;discomforts of pregnancy;stages of labor and what to ex-pect; cesarean birth; medica-tions; possible complications;postpartum care; and comfort,

relaxation, breathing and cop-ing techniques for labor sup-port. $100 per couple;registration required.

Water Birth Thursday, 5/2, 5/16, 5/30,6/13, 6/27, 7/11 and 7/25 at7:00 p.m. For couples desiringto learn about the option of awater birth delivery. Comple-tion of the class is required to beconsidered for water birth atNFH. $30.00 per couple; reg-istration required. Call 770- 751-2660 for more infor-mation and to register.

Maternity ToursPlease join one of our Women’sHealth nurses in the hospitalatrium on alternating Tuesdaysat 4 p.m. and Thursdays at 5:30p.m. for a guided tour of theLabor and Delivery suites,Mother/Baby Unit and theNeonatal ICU. The tour last ap-proximately one hour. Pleasecall 770-751-2660 for theschedule and to register.

SPECIAL EVENTS Relay for LifeFriday, 5/3, 6:00 p.m.Roswell High School, 11595King Road, RoswellJoin North Fulton Hospital andother Roswell-area businesses,schools, and community groupsas we help raise money for can-cer research, celebrate sur-vivorship, and honor those whohave been lost. For more infor-mation, visit relayforlife.org.

AARP Safe Driver Class Wednesday, 5/8, 9:30 a.m. to4:30 p.m. Geared to the safetyneeds of the older driver, thisprogram will cover laws, han-dling special situations, freewaytraffic, aggressive drivers, howmedication may affect driving,and much more. Insurancecompanies in Georgia offer a15% discount for 3 years tothose who have completed thiscourse. Registration is required;$14 ($12 with AARP member-ship) LifeSouth Blood DriveFriday, 5/10, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

In every profession and walk of life wemeet people who have specialleadership abilities. These qualities aremanifested through leadership byexample, a stellar professionalreputation, and in extraordinary peoplethese traits are coupled with humilityand a sense of humor. Dr. StephenDisch possessed all of those qualitiesand more.

Disch passed away while visiting hisparents in his hometown of NewGlarus, WI on Mar. 16. He was a lovingfamily man survived by his wife Colleenand daughters Ashton and Taylor. Hewas also an accomplishedneurosurgeon at North Fulton Hospitalfor more than two decades. Disch was agraduate of Auburn University andreceived his medical degree fromUniversity of Alabama. He spent mostof his professional years at NorthFulton Hospital where his legacy willbe everlasting, both through his indeli-ble mark of excellence, and the ICUthat is being named in his memory.

The professional world of medicine is one of collaboration anddependence. As a lead neurosurgeon, Disch dealt with a lot of pressuredue to the sensitive nature of his work. He was more than just a world-class surgeon. He was an inspirational leader who possessed the rarecombination of competency and leadership.

North Fulton Hospital has grown over the years around employeeslike Disch. It’s the people who make great medicine, not the buildings,and Disch made North Fulton Hospital stand tall.

“His legacy will be everlasting,” notes Dr. Charles Sykes, radiologist atRoswell Radiology Associates. “Steve Disch was one of the pillars of thishospital. The hospital tried to be not only a great community hospitalbut also a trauma center, a level 2 trauma center, and in large part that’sdue to the services that were available in neurosurgery.”

“We’ve been blessed at our hospital with Steve and the people he’shired. Steve was a fine person and a real gentleman. Just a pleasure to bearound and to deal with on every level,” Sykes said.

As North Fulton Hospital celebrates its 30th anniversary Disch’s con-tributions run throughout its evolution.

“This hospital was a little nothing in the middle of a cow pasture whenit was first built. The goal has always been to build it into an excellentcommunity hospital but we evolved into a trauma center, which we

embraced and did a great deal of traumawork. It’s amazing at how far away peoplewould come for care. Disch was a huge in-tegral part of that,” Sykes said. “WhenDisch would hit the emergency room hewas the guy.”

As Sykes noted, the hospital has trans-formed itself over time from a regionalhospital to a level 2-trauma center andtoday is branching out into services areasthat go far beyond an operating room. Alarge part of that ability to grow is due tothe leadership Disch provided andfostered.

An important part of his personalitycomes from the area of Wisconsin wherehe grew up. Dr. Michael Dailey, ofInfectious Disease Services of Georgia, isa fellow physician, former chief of staff atNorth Fulton Hospital, who also comesfrom Wisconsin. He and Disch were closeassociates for 20 years.

“He grew up on a farm and he was selfsufficient, which is how he was taught.He was comfortable in what he was,”Daily said. “People wanted to follow him

for what he was. I was lucky to have known him for those 20 years.”Disch’s contributions were far greater outside the hospital than in it.

He was responsible for saving many lives. Through his memorial websitepatients have expressed a great deal of admiration for him. There is a re-peating theme of humor, skill, and the unique ability to make thosearound him at ease.

“I appreciated his sense of humor.When Dr. Disch came to visit me in theholding area before surgery, he wasthoughtfully holding a black marker andtrying to decide where to make the markon my neck. I said, ‘Oh, Dr. Disch, justpick a crease!’ He chuckled and that putme totally at ease. Before he left the roomI said, ‘I heard that I would be listeningto James Taylor in surgery today.’ Hequickly responded, ‘No, I will!’ ” saidCathy McCormick a former patient.

As a lasting tribute to Dr. Disch’scontributions to North Fulton Hospital the critical care unit at NorthFulton Hospital will be named the Steven P. Disch Critical Care Unit.

A Unique And Lasting LegacyDr. Steven Disch was more than a physician, he was a leader.

21MAY 2013

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Always ready for achallenge, Dr. JeffreyGarrett enjoys the individu-ality of each case in hischosen specialty ofOrthopaedic Trauma andhip joint replacement. He isone of three orthotraumasurgeons in North Georgia,and he practices withResurgens Orthopaedics.Originally from Idaho andWashington, he moved toRoswell less than a year agowith his wife and fourdaughters, and has enjoyedbecoming part of the staff atNorth Fulton Hospital.

QWHAT LED YOU TO THEMEDICAL FIELD?

ANSWER When I was in 9thgrade, I broke my wrist play-ing basketball. I reallyclicked with theOrthopaedic surgeon whotreated me. I liked hispersonality and he showed areal interest in me. Nosurgery was required, but Icredited his care with mycomplete recovery. Duringthis experience, I decidedthat Orthopaedics was “cool”and that was what I wasgoing to do. Sometimes Imay act like I have horseblinders on but throughoutschool I never consideredanything else.

QWHY DID YOU CHOOSEYOUR SPECIFIC

SPECIALTY?

ANSWER I chose to special-ize in Orthopaedic Traumaand hip joint replacementbecause of the challenge.Each case is different andhas to be approachedindividually. Growing up, Ienjoyed being a personothers could ask to help withproblems. I tried to be mybest when others weredepending on me.

QWHAT HAS BEEN YOURMOST SATISFYING

MOMENT IN MEDICINE?

ANSWER Occasionallypatients send me thank younotes, and I think myfavorite moments have beenwhen my wife or kids found

one of them. I get a realsense of satisfaction when Isee a patient resume theirnormal life after surgery.

QWHAT IS THE BESTADVICE YOU EVER

RECEIVED FROM A MENTOR?

ANSWER During myresidency, one of my attend-ings told me to “Always tryto do the right thing.” Hetaught me that the bestthing for your patient is fre-quently the least convenientthing for yourself.

QWHERE ARE YOU FROMORIGINALLY?

ANSWER I consider myself anative of the PacificNorthwest. I lived in bothIdaho and Washington grow-ing up.

QWHAT DO YOU LIKEABOUT THIS AREA?

ANSWER I love thegeography of the Southeast,and my wife is from NorthCarolina. We are very happywith the schools andcommunity here in Milton.Because we haven’t beenhere very long, we haven’thad much of a chance to ex-plore Atlanta and thesurrounding area, but welove taking road trips andI’m looking forward toexploring with my girls assoon as we can. Everyone wehave met has made us

quickly feel at home. I am soglad that we will be able toraise our children here andbe closer to some of our fam-ily too.

QWHAT DO YOU DO INYOUR FREE TIME?

ANSWER When I’m not atthe hospital or in the office, Ienjoy the outdoors and likegoing camping, and hunting.However, most of my freetime is spent attending mykids’ activities and travelingwith my family. Recently, wehave been busy attendingcheerleading competitionswith our daughters. I amalso involved with mychurch.

QWHAT IS YOUR FAVORITEBOOK/AUTHOR?

ANSWER Frequently, I try toread uplifting religiousbooks. For leisure, I enjoyreading along with my kidsas they read whichever bookor series is currently popular.We have recently enjoyedthe Harry Potter novels andthe Hunger Games trilogy.Occasionally, I will read orreread a Robert Ludlumnovel.

QWHO IS YOUR FAVORITEMUSICIAN?

ANSWER I enjoy listening tosoft classic rock, like PaulSimon, Billy Joel, etc…

QWHAT IS YOUR FAVORITEMOVIE(S)?

ANSWER The Man fromSnowy River and Last of theDogmen are my favorites. Idon’t know why, but I lovethose movies.

QIF YOU WERE NOT ADOCTOR, WHAT WOULD

YOU DO?

ANSWER If I had not goneinto medicine, I probablywould have had ambitions tobe a college men’s basketballcoach. That was my passiongrowing up.

Q and A: Meet Dr. Jeffrey Garrett

North Fulton Hospital announcedtoday that Micah Brown, BreastHealth Nurse Navigator, has beennamed a Tenet Hero as part of TenetHealthcare Corporation’s (NYSE:THC) recognition program foremployees.

Micah Brown’s decade-long careerin nursing, combined with a generousand tirelessly compassionate nature,have made her a perfect fit as a breasthealth navigator. Her role begins themoment a woman finds out she has abreast problem or earlier, when she isjust worried that she might. Brown isthere with a compassion that goes be-yond duty to answer questions, hold ahand during a biopsy, and offer a com-forting and consoling word to easefears and anxiety.

“It’s Micah the patients love becauseshe puts them at ease and takes themby the hand, leading them throughevery step in the process,” says Dr.Laura Rivers-Pearson, breast surgeonat North Fulton Hospital.

If surgery or other treatment is nec-essary, she is there to guide the patientto the doctor they need or help makeappointments for other procedures.Without hesitation, Micah Brown goesout of her way to give comfort to all as-pects of her patients’ lives. She has an

North FultonHospital’s MicahBrown Named A Tenet Hero

Dr. Jeffrey Garrett’s 4 daughters

The Garrett family at sea.

Micah Brown, Breast Health Nurse Navigator

CONTINUED 22

22MAY 2013

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Act Fast for Stroke CareMost of us know that chest pain orpain in the arm may be an indicator ofa heart attack, but do you know whatsigns to look for if you suspect thatyou or a loved one may have had astroke? More importantly, do youknow what to do for that person to im-prove their chances of survival andrecovery?

“It is critical that a physician see astroke victim as soon as possible,” saysPat Victor, Coordinator of NorthFulton Hospital’s Stroke Program,which has been certified since 2005.“The treatments for stroke aim to savebrain cells, and the sooner a patient re-ceives treatment, the more cells wecan save.”

Signs of a StrokeDuring a stroke, the blood supply tothe brain is interrupted either byblood clots or by bleeding in the brain.Brain cells in the immediate areabegin to die because they stopreceiving the oxygen and nutrientsthey need to function. This is why im-mediate medical attention is necessary.Signs of a stroke may include:� • Sudden numbness or weakness of

face, arm or leg, especially on oneside of the body.

� • Sudden confusion or troublespeaking or understanding speech.

� • Sudden trouble walking,dizziness, or loss of balance orcoordination.

� • Sudden severe headache with noknown cause.

� • Blurred or double vision, drowsi-ness, and nausea or vomiting.“You can quickly evaluate a friend or

family member by performing theFAST test,” says Victor, “which standsfor Face, Arm, Speech, and Time.First, do you notice drooping on oneside of the face? Second, can he or shehold both arms out straight in front ofthe body without one driftingdownward? Next, do you notice anyslurring or difficulty with speech? If

so, note the time that you last saw theperson functioning normally so hospi-tal staff will know the approximatetime of the episode.”

Call 911 Immediately!Don’t drive your loved one to theEmergency Room. They maydeteriorate in the car, and you won’tbe able to care for them. Also, don’tgive them any food, drink, or medicine(even blood pressure medicine oraspirin) because their ability toswallow may be compromised and themedicines may actually harm yourloved one’s chances of recovery.

Stroke TreatmentsStrokes caused by blood clots may betreated with a drug called t-PA, whichdissolves blood clots, but those causedby bleeding cannot be treated with t-PA. Instead, surgery is oftenperformed to help relieve the pressureor blood clots caused by the bleeding.In both cases, time is of the essence forsuccessful treatment.

“Our Stroke Center strives toperform quick evaluations of possiblestroke victims and administer t-PA foreligible patients within the first 60minutes after a patient arrives,” saysVictor. “In fact, North Fulton Hospitalworks very hard to train its nursingstaff in all areas of the hospital on howto give t-PA and monitor for anyeffects so the drug can beadministered as quickly as possiblewherever the patient is.”

North Fulton Hospital’s StrokeCenter has been a Certified StrokeCenter since 2005. The center has fiveneurologists and two neurosurgeonson staff, in addition to its ProgramCoordinator. For more informationabout North Fulton Hospital’s StrokeCenter, visit NFultonHospital.com orcall 770-751-2600.

Innovations Improve HipReplacement

Hip replacement surgery has been used to treat joint disease since the 1960s.It replaces the head of the thigh bone and the ball-and-socket mechanism in thehip with artificial implants. Traditionally, the operation was done making a 10-to 12-inch incision on the side of the hip. The muscles would then be detachedfrom the hip, which would be dislocated. In recent years, however, a newtechnique called the Anterior Approach to total hip replacement has been devel-oped. It allows the surgeon to perform the surgery through a smaller incisionand without detaching the muscles from either the hip or thigh bone.

“The Anterior Approach to hip replacement allows me to access the hip jointwithout cutting any muscle,” says Dr. Jeffrey Garrett, a physician at NorthFulton Hospital. “This technique utilizes the natural space between muscles,which minimizes number of places I have to cut the tissues. This provides thepotential for a quicker recovery when compared to traditional hip replacementsurgery.”

Benefits of the Anterior Approach are:� Possible accelerated recovery time because key muscles are not detached

during the operation.� Potential for fewer restrictions during recovery. Although each patient

responds differently, this procedure seeks to help patients more freely bendtheir hip and bear their full weight immediately or soon after surgery.

� Possible reduced scarring because the technique allows for one relativelysmall incision. Since the incision is on the front side of the leg, patientsmay be spared from the pain of sitting on scar tissue.“Not only can patients see relief from the symptoms that brought them to me

in the first place,” says Dr. Garrett, “but they have the potential to recover faster,with less pain than with a traditional replacement.”

Hip replacement surgery, whether traditional or anterior, is performed to helpdecrease pain, increase mobility and improve quality of life. It may berecommended if other treatment methods, such as exercise, walking aids ormedication, are not effective. High-impact activities, including tennis, basketballand jogging, should be avoided after surgery. Instead, patients can walk, swim orride a stationary bicycle to increase muscle strength and improve cardiovascularhealth without injuring their new hip.

North Fulton Hospital strives to provide state of the art medical services so itspatients receive the highest quality of care possible, and the Anterior Approachto total hip replacement is one of the newest innovations added to the array ofservices they can provide. For more information or a referral to a provider atNorth Fulton Hospital that performs the Anterior Approach to hip replacement,call 770-751-2600.

Micah Brown... continued21

uncanny ability to be the source of strength for those who have trouble finding itin themselves—patients and co-workers alike.

“Our Tenet Heroes represent the best of who we are at Tenet and what we doas health care providers in the community we serve,” said Debbie Keel, NorthFulton Hospital’s chief executive officer. “The innovative ideas and exceptionalservice provided by these professionals serve as an inspiration to us all.”

Our Tenet Heroes exemplify Tenet’s core values of quality, integrity, service, in-novation, and transparency. These individuals make a remarkable commitmentto our values, our patients, and the community through their exemplary wordsand actions. Being named a Tenet Hero provides these individuals with therecognition they deserve and a title that truly describes their character.

North Fulton Hospital has been named a Certified Breast Center of Excellencein the National Quality Measures for Breast Centers Program™. For more infor-mation about North Fulton Hospital’s Breast Center, call 770-751-2556.

Face Arm Speech Time

By Kirsten Ricci

Spring has finally arrivedand the warmer temps arehere, but the housingmarket has been cookingfor awhile. Everywhere youturn, the media is toutingthe shortage of homes forsale, bidding wars for thosethat do make it to marketand the wave of new homesthat are about to break ground. Themarket is more robust than anyone ex-pected. But higher-than-expected pricejumps and continued tight inventorywill likely restrain existing-home salesthis year and into 2014.

Increasing home prices broughtmore than 1.7 million properties abovewater in 2012 and will continue to doso this year, freeing many borrowers toput their homes on the market. Thiswill potentially ease the inventoryshortage, albeit gradually. It isprojected that existing home sales,which were up 9.4 percent last year,will grow by an additional 6.9 percentthis year, to 4.98 million homes nation-ally. This compared to last month’sprojection of a 10.5 percent jump thisyear, to 5.15 million homes. Theestimated existing-home sales will rise 5.5percent in 2014, to5.26 million homes,compared to lastmonth’s prediction of a6.2 percent rise.

New home starts areup this year over lastyear by 14.1 percent but are projected toreach 41.5 percent within the next 12months. New inventory is on the wayand while home prices may be on therise in our market, the interest rateswill be right behind them edging theirway upward. What does that look likefor homeowners who may not be readyto sell today? The cattle calls are every-where… now is the time to sell. Uglyhouses, great houses, dated houses, old,new, your time has come. There arebuyers waiting for you.

But what if now is not the right timefor you does that mean that you missedthe boat? The real estate market is ever

changing it ebbs and flowsthe speed at which it changesis unpredictable. All signspoint to achieving “normal”market conditions by 2016.Normal conditions are wherethere is a 6 month supply ofhomes available. There is abalance of new homes versusexisting homes for sale. Wewill soon see the rise of thenew home wave approaching

us like a tsunami which will affect theexisting home sales market.

Sellers who enter the market in 2013early 2014 will have the benefit of beingthe only option for those buyers whowant or need to buy now. That willchange with the new homes slated tobreak ground and will shift the marketand create competition for existinghomes. Those who want to sell shouldsell now while the supply is down, thedemand is up, and the interest rates arein their favor. Those who aren’t readycan expect to see another shift in thecoming years. They will not havemissed the boat; there will still be aneed for existing home sales in the com-ing years. The factors will present morechallenges than today, more supply, and

higher interest rates.Sellers who sell inthe highs (homesthat are selling under$550,000) and arethen buying in the$550k+ range arebenefiting greatlyfrom today’s market.Those who choose to

wait will fall under “normal” which mayseem less exciting than the current realestate craze of multiple offers and oneto five days of market time.

In either case, the real estate marketis booming and will continue to beactive for the next several years, whichis a positive sign of the strength of oureconomy. If you would like a market analysis

on your home or if you have suggestionsfor future articles, please contactKirsten Ricci – Associate Broker - KellerWilliams. [email protected] or678.472.3832.

MAY 2013see thecurrentplus.com for more real estate • out & about • community • music • food • garden • business • health & wellness • life 23

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Real EstateKIRSTEN RICCI

““Ugly houses, greathouses, dated houses,

old, new, your time has come.

By Stephanie LaMont

Hello again Current readers.Thanks for the responses tolast month’s column. I’m en-joying learning yourthoughts on the perplexingissues of being single.

Last month I touched onsome of the more obviousplaces where singles meet.Traditional venues such asbars, health clubs and eventhe workplace. And let’s not forget thenew millennium method of online dat-ing sites.

However, there are more places thatsingles often meet that I didn’t mention.I’d like to cover some of those now.

We have a member of The Current’sstaff who met her husband on theAmtrak train. Both were traveling onbusiness between two major cities.

Do Atlanta singles meet on MARTA?More likely in our area they’ll meet atthat little airport off Camp CreekParkway. I think it’s called Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.Seriously, I’ve heard several stories ofpeople meeting at the world’s busiestairport. Of course some of thoseencounters started on the actualaircraft but you get the point.

I’m not talking about the good olddays of some Don Draper guy hitting ona blond bombshell of a stewardess.These days’ travelers strike up conversa-tions with each other, especially at thegate waiting area when they have adelayed flight.

So, next time you’re traveling; getyour head out of your laptops, Ipads,and smart phones and look aroundyou! There’s not just married folksusing the friendly skies. Just be careful

you don’t get burned likeGeorge Clooney’s characterdid in the movie Up In TheAir. Movie tip—it’s worthrenting if you haven’t seen it.

One male reader wrote tome with a very goodquestion: Is it appropriate topursue a woman you meet ina grocery store?

Joe, whose name has beenchanged to protect his iden-tity, wrote that he’s not going

to do the online thing or wait to meetsomeone in his travels. He went on tosay that he sees nice women at the gro-cery store. These women appear single.They have no wedding band or a minivan waiting outside with a husbanddriving it.

To answer your question Joe, I say gofor it if the woman seems interested!She’ll probably be glad you did. Clearly,you’re not a stalker if you’re considerateenough to ask a female, (me) aboutyour approach. Smiles all around.

It also seems like Joe picks up,pardon that pun, on vibes of fellowshoppers. That’s important. I know of awoman who had to ask thesupermarket manager to talk to a manwho kept following her up and downthe aisles even after she told him shewas married. Obviously, that man didn’tget the hint. In most cases, the worstthing that can happen if you chat some-one up in that setting is make theshopping experience fun!

I almost always recommend takingthat “leap of faith” in regards toreaching out to potential partners.

Dating is like the lottery. If you don’tplay you can’t win. Have stories of winsor loses? Do tell. �[email protected]

MAY 2013see thecurrentplus.com for more life • out & about • community • music • food • garden • business • health & wellness • real estate24

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Planes, Trains, And Grocery Stores?You’ve got to be in the game to win it.

The next time you’re traveling; get your headout of your laptops, Ipads, and smart phones

and look around you!

MAY 201325see thecurrentplus.com for more music • out & about • community • real estate • food • garden • business • health & wellness • life

By Lou Raimondi

There are a tremendous number ofyoung, talented, musicians in thegreater Atlanta area. One of the best isright here in our own backyard.Madison Shea is a singer-songwriterfrom Woodstock, Georgia who is aSophomore at Fellowship ChristianSchool here in Roswell. Winner of the2012 Georgia Music Award in the

Youth Country category this younglady has a bright future.

Madison’s career began in the FirstGrade where she participated in aTalent Show and sang “Do Lord.” Atage eleven, she took some poems shehad written to her music teacher BrentWhiten who was so impressed he tooksome to Nashville, where music wasadded, and a music career waslaunched.

Madison continued to growmusically, learning how to play thepiano in the seventh grade and the gui-tar in the eighth grade. Hearing herplay live is a treat as she is a quite capa-ble musician, sounding far moreseasoned than her years of experience.

The hard work this A student hasput into her music is beginning to payoff big time. Four of her songs havebeen played on 94.9 The Bull,including “I’ve Got A Secret,” “Escape,”the very popular “Overboard,” andmost recently “Say Something.”

Winning the 2012 Georgia MusicAward has provided her theopportunity to work with some majortalent. Plans are in the works for her to

collaborate with California singer-songwriter Matt Clark, New Yorkbassist Bill Jensen, and noteddrummer and Musical Director DaveStark.

When not doing school work or outplaying her own music, Madison canbe found in the studio recordingjingles. Her strong, clear voice hasattracted opportunities in that genre.A clip of her working on one can beseen on her YouTube Channel.

Despite major radio airplay, record-ing jingles and playing with big timemusicians, Madison is a NationalHonor Society student who generouslyoffers her time and talent to variouscharities and events in the area, includ-ing: The Down Syndrome Buddy Walkat Centennial Olympic Park, TheMilton Roundup, The Georgia BaptistChildren’s Home, Lawrenceville Day ofHope, and most recently, the MiltonEarth Day Festival.

Madison played the Peach Drop thisyear, and recently played at Six FlagsOver Georgia. Her upcoming shows in-clude: May 12 at the Roswell ColorsFestival of Arts, June 5 at the ElectricCowboy and August 2 at The VelvetNote in Alpharetta.

She is once again nominated for the2013 Georgia Award Rock & CountryYouth Artist of the Year. This is a fanvoted award and you can help her byvotingatgeorgiamusicawards.com/gma/vote.

Both her album “I’ve Got A Secret”and her single “Overboard” can be pur-chased on iTunes and Amazon and youcan follow her via her website atwww.madisonsheamusic.com. �

Bright Future For Young SingerMadison Shea is a singer-songwriter on the rise.

““

Despite major radio airplay,recording jingles and playingwith big time musicians,

Madison is a National HonorSociety student who

generously offers her time andtalent to various charities and

events in the area.

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MAY 2013see thecurrentplus.com for more travel • out & about • community • music • food • garden • business • health & wellness • life26

By Stacy Shade, Photos by Jeff Shade

I don’t know about you, but I am always looking fora great getaway. Nothing too far away or tooexpensive, but something that will lift my spirits, getmy senses going, and fold me into some new discov-ery. In fact, I’ve just returned from such a quick tripand I can say that there’s just nothing quite like that

subtle feeling of happiness on a Sunday night, recog-nizing that your weekend time was very well spent.A kind of weekend that will make you just a little bitsmug as you recount it to others around the watercooler on Monday morning.

Our location in the Southeast lends itself to manygreat excursions. For this month, I’m going to sharea few of my favorites with you. Some may surpriseyou. That said, I am only scratching the weekenddestination surface here with these suggestions.There are countless other options that I hope torelay to you in the coming months. With that said,let me go ahead share!

A Surprising Delight: Greenville, SCI’ve driven past Greenville on I-85 many times with-out paying the town any mind. Thankfully, myin-laws made a pit stop there on the way to Atlantarecently and discovered this gem of a town!Greenville has seen both good times and bad, but

these days are among some of the good ones.Beginning in the 1970s, the city of Greenvilleconceived of a streetscape plan for the languishingMain Street. Over the past 30 years, through a com-bination of both public and private investments, thecity of Greenville has transformed into a hub forbusiness, culture, and tourism. It’s one of the mostbeautiful towns I’ve visited in the good ole U.S. of A!I’d recommend bringing your bike or renting oneand enjoying the 13.5 mile Swamp Rabbit bike trail

A surprising

delight:GREENVILLE

Area Destinations Offer A World Of Variety

MAY 2013see thecurrentplus.com for more travel • out & about • community • music • food • garden • business • health & wellness • life 27

that connects Greenville to Travelers Rest, rightalong the Reedy River. Afterwards, stroll aroundthe downtown, walk across the falls and the treetops on the Liberty Bridge, and finish off yourday at a local eatery. I highly recommend TheTrappe Door for Belgian brews and to-die-forfood. And, if you’re looking for some afterdinner entertainment, you’re bound to findsomething with the Peace Center for PerformingArts and Centre Stage, both within walking dis-tance from any downtown eatery.

Finding Happiness in the Hills: Blue Ridge, Dahlonega, and Young Harris Blue Ridge has been a home to farmers and ahaven for weary travelers since 1886. The beautyof the mountains and the charm of the townmade it a destination back then and it’s adestination today for the very same reasons.Whether you decide to board the Blue RidgeScenic Railway, venture outdoors, stroll throughthe boutiques, or just pay a visit to Harvest onMain and Mercier Orchards, you are just bound toenjoy yourself! Their 37th Annual Arts in the ParkFestival is on Memorial Day weekend and admissionis just $5—maybe that’s just the excuse you neededto go! Dahlonega, our neighbor just an hour north, is a

locale rich in history, nature, and culture. As the siteof the first major U.S. gold rush, visitors can learnabout the rush at the Gold Museum as well as panfor it themselves! The area also many differentwineries to visit. If you’re a wine loverlike me, this place will keep youand your palate busy and happy!Historic downtown Dahlonega isalso home to some fantasticmountain musicians. You can hearthem play any Saturday (2:00 p.m. –5:00 p.m.) from now until Oct. 12during the Appalachian Jam!

North of Dahlonega, in a valley nes-tled in the heart of the Chattahoochee NationalForest, is the town of Young Harris. This is a moun-tain escape for those who want to get away from allof the hustle and bustle of the city. In Young Harris,you’re surrounded by rolling green hills andbeautiful mountain landscapes. I recently visitedthis quant town after snagging a great deal for theBrasstown Valley Resort & Spa on Travelzoo.com.The resort, originally constructed in 1995, offers 503rolling acres to explore and enjoy via walking pathsand horse trails. There’s also an 18-holechampionship golf course on the grounds of theresort. Brasstown Valley also offers up gorgeousmountain views to enjoy inside by the fire or outsideon the porch rocking chairs. And, if the serenesurroundings aren’t enough to get you into vacation

mode, just visit their Equani Spa.A perfect Mother’s Day or

Memorial Day destination!

Sunny Salty Savannah Want to stroll some of the most picturesque streetsthis side of the Atlantic, take in a little history,browse an art gallery, listen to jazz, eat like PaulaDean, and enjoy a beach day in one trip?Impossible? Not in Savannah!

I’m a fan of Savannah’s Bed and Breakfast Inn,but there are many wonderful

B&B’s to choose from!There are too manywonderful tours,restaurants, and stores toname, but don’t miss grab-bing lunch from SohoSouth Cafe and don’t gohome without some

lovely Georgia honey from the Savannah BeeCompany. When you head over to Tybee Island forthe day to get some sea salt in your hair, ditch yourcar once you get there and rent a bike instead! Tybeeis very bike-able and you can tour the entire island,including a visit to the Tybee Lighthouse Station andMuseum, on two wheels. On your way back, youshould be sure to stop at The Crab Shack on EstillHammock Road—it’s truly a unique Southernseafood experience!

Beyond the Choo Choo in Chattanooga, TennesseeWhenever I think of Chattanooga, I think of thesong “Chattanooga Choo Choo” by the Glenn MillerOrchestra. And, while the historic rail station is mag-nificent, there’s much more to this town than theChoo Choo. Admittedly, I have not been there inquite some time and I can’t imagine why not. Onlytwo short hours from Atlanta, Chattanooga lives upto its nickname, “The Scenic City.” Much likeGreenville, the previously polluted coal and steeltown has cleaned up its act over the past threedecades and has now been tapped by The New YorkTimes as one of the “Top 45 Places to Go” in theworld. With Tennessee mountains to explore, thebeautiful Tennessee River, and plenty of arts, music,events, and food to enjoy, this is my nextdestination! For a romantic getaway, the Bluff ViewInn and the Chanticleer Inn are two great options.For families, the Chattanoogan Hotel and theSheraton Read House offer great aquarium andLookout Mountain packages. As for me, I’ll be visit-ing The Crash Pad, an uncommon outdoorsy hostelthat has captured my curiosity and given me thehankering to hike, raft, and even hang glide or rockclimb! It seems to me that this place is about muchmore than the famous Choo Choo that landed it onthe map. �

Blue Ridge

Dahlonega Young Harris

SavannahSUNNY

SALTY

APR 2013see thecurrentplus.com for more festivals • out & about • community • music • food • garden • business • health & wellness • life28

MAY 2013

Your story continues here…

A Summer Lunch & Learn Series at Chambrel Roswell

It’s All about Your Choices.

Join us at Chambrel Roswell for our three-part summer learning series featuring a gourmet lunch and our very own panel of experts.

June 26

Healthy Foods That Taste Great, Too

RSVP by June 17

Complimentary admission and lunch

1000 Applewood DriveRoswell, Georgia 30076(Corner of Houze Road and Mansell Road)

00752-FSI01-0613 SC

RSVP by June 3RSVP by June 10

By Jennica Jordan

For all you interested in trying over 50different kinds of craft beer without driv-ing past the perimeter, look no furtherthan the parking lot next to PastisRestaurant, on Canton Street, onSaturday, May 11. That’s where theSTAR House Foundation is launchingthe first ever Roswell Beer Festival,featuring beers from all over the worldpaired with live music and food fromright next door. The planning team hasbeen hard at work to bring a legitimatebeer festival to downtown Roswell, andto prove they are serious, they will bearmed with 9,000 beers for tasting and6,000 pounds of ice to keep them coldall day.

After a few crafty cold ones, you cansee what the food trucks have to offer, ortake refuge from the afternoon sun inthe dining room at Pastis, where theywill be offering special STAR Housemenu items to everyone with a beer festwristband. The festival entertainmentwill showcase local artists, opening withacoustic solo act Cameron Kane fromnoon to 2 p.m., and moving into the fea-

ture act from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. with theBruce Jones Band, which covers aneclectic mix of artists, from R.E.M. andThe Rolling Stones to Cheryl Crowe andAdele.

STAR House board member JeffBridges anticipates that this event willbring out craft beer lovers as well asthose just looking for a refreshing way tospend a Saturday afternoon.

“It’s a fundraiser for kids,” saysBridges, “but it’s also going to bring aunique experience to downtown Roswellthat hasn’t really ever been done here.”

As far as the beer selection, you aregoing to see some familiar names,including favorites from local breweriessuch as Sweetwater and Terrapin, butthey are also throwing some unexpectedbreweries into the mix like Ommegangout of Cooperstown, NY, and Finch outof Chicago. Up and coming brands likeRogue, Abita, Mother Earth, and NewHolland are just a few more names toget excited about amongst the 50-plusflavors being served up in specialsouvenir glasses created for the festivalgoers. �

Downtown Roswell Gets Crafty With First Annual Beer Festival

The Second City started in Chicago in 1959. From its humble beginningsno one could have guessed that this small theater would go on to become themost influential and prolific comedy theater in the world. They wereexperiemental and unconventional in their approach to comedy.

With its roots in the improvisational games of Viola Spolin, The Second Citydeveloped an entirely unique way of creating and performing comedy.Founded by Spolin’s son, Paul Sills, along with Howard Alk and Bernie Sahlins,The Second City was experimental and unconventional in its approach to boththeatre and comedy. At a time when mother-in-law jokes were more thefashion, The Second City railed against the conformist culture with scenes thatspoke to a younger generation.

The Broadway success of MikeNichols and Elaine May—members of The Second City’spredecessor, The CompassPlayers—put attention on thefledgling company. That successgave rise to Second City perform-ers such as Alan Arkin, BarbaraHarris, Robert Klein, and FredWillard, who began to build thetroupe’s reputation. The earlydays of Saturday Night Live wereled by Second City Alumns JohnBelushi, Dan Aykroyd, and GildaRadner. In the ’80s, SCTV, one ofthe all time great sketch comedyshows launched the careers ofMartin Short, John Candy, andRick Moranis amongst others.

In its present form TheSecond City is still a factory oftalent. From Mike Myers toSteve Carell to Tina Fey, the hitsjust keep coming.

On May 24, at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center, The Second City brings atouring act The Best of The Second City to the stage. This show will featuresome of the best sketches from their five decades of genius. The performers arethe next generation of comedians following in impressive footsteps. There willbe scripted and improvisational elements as the audience always plays a part.

Whether they are mocking the newspaper headlines or performing a classicgem from their archives, The Second City is always a laugh out loud hit.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.roswellpresents.com or by phone at770-594-6232. �

Legendary Comedy Hits The StageChicago’s Second City sketch comedy troupe tours with historical show.

THE SCOOP Roswell Beer Festival will take place from noon to five pm on Saturday, May 11, which is also Mother’sDay Weekend, so bring your mom! Or just send her flowers and bring your friends. With so much going on in the area,re-entry to the Roswell Beer Festival will be permitted should you want to walk down to the Historic Town Square andcheck out the Color Festival of Arts or do a little on the spot shopping for mom along Canton Street. Tickets are $30 inadvance, $40 at the door. Designated driver tickets will be available for $10, but this is a 21 and up event, with theexception of children in strollers. For those who pre-purchase tickets, your printed ticket and proof of identification willbe required for entry. Proceeds for the Roswell Beer Festival will benefit the STAR House Foundation for after schoolprograms. For additional information on this event and to purchase advance tickets visit www.starhousefoundation.org.

The Best of The Second CityMay 24 @ 8pm

Roswell Cultural Arts Center

MAY 2013see thecurrentplus.com for more business • out & about • community • music • food • real estate • health & wellness • life 29

By Elaine LaMontagne

High school graduation season isupon us, and the search for ideal giftsbegins. Some of you may be looking forone item for a special relative or friend,others may be in the midst of aphenomenon I learned about when mytwo children graduated from WaltonHigh School—the graduation party cir-cuit! I understand it’s typical at thevarious high schools throughout EastCobb, Roswell and Alpharetta. Anabsurd number of invitations flow inwith most parties having multiple grad-uates involved. So navigating the giftprocess is a learning curve.

But as a new empty nester, I whole-heartedly encourage you to embrace theseason with a smile as you shop for fungifts, with or without your child. You’llmiss these times very soon. Knowingwhere to go will ease the process—sograb your list of names, perhaps the col-leges they will be going to, and awayyou go KUDZO EMBROIDERY – Located

next to Marlow’s in the corner ofMerchants Walk, this sweet shop is a

haven for gradgifts. They have aregistry of wherestudents aregoing to collegeand what giftshave alreadybeen purchased.Free monogram-ming is featuredand acombination ofattractively pack-

aged inexpensive items such asgumballs, cookies and koozies, alongwith ever popular spa wraps, laundrybags, dopp kits (toiletry bags for guys),a vast assortment of college logoaccessories, bulletin boards andblankets. Success is inevitable.(1311 Johnson Ferry Road, Marietta,770-565-8500, www.kudzuemb.com) COLLEGE STATION – Gem of a

find as it has the deepest assortment ofcollege items with an impressivevolume of stock. In addition to clothingitems, you’ll find Magnolia Lane decora-tive collegiate dishware, canvas adpanoramic stadium prints, garden flagsand gnomes, party buckets and trash

cans, scoreboard clocks and pillow petdream lights which turns your roominto a starry sky with your college logoserving as the star! Love this place.(Mansell Road at Alpharetta Highwayin Roswell, 770-992-7996,www.collegestationstores.com) RED HOUND – This Alpharetta

boutique has lovely options and gradgift ideas include Vera Bradleyaccessories, jewelry charms, collegiatecoasters, platters, bag tags, spirit fingers,tailgate items, laundry bags, and MudPie products made in Stone Mountainincluding tumblers, mugs and frames.An area favorite. (10955 Jones BridgeRoad, Alpharetta, 678-624-7733,www.theredhound.com)VEESHEE.COM – If you’d prefer to

do your shopping online, try thisspecialty website developed by Waltonand UGA graduate Brittany Martin,who comments that “May is a secondChristmas for us because ofgraduation!” They feature high-endmonogramming, beautiful gift boxeswith personalized messages and shipwithin 24 hours when items are instock. Their “studio on line” allows youto preview unique monogramming indifferent fonts and colors before youorder. Save this address—it’s terrific.(855-833-7433, www.veeshee.com) �

Hidden Gems is a new columnhighlighting businesses, products andservices worthy of attention for theenhancement they can add to our lives,whether simply or significantly, for funor health, for supporting our local neigh-bors or just embracing our corner of theworld. (Ideas are welcome [email protected])

HiddenGems

ELAINE LAMONTAGNE

Shopping For Graduation Gifts

College Station

MAY 2013see thecurrentplus.com for more out & about • community • real estate • music • food • garden • business • health & wellness • life30

Out&AboutinMay This is just a partial list of area events and activities. For more, please visit www.thecurrentplus.com.

If you have an event listing please send it to [email protected].

EVERY THUR. & FRI.

RAGAMUFFIN MUSIC HALL OPEN MICOur unique 65-seat main performance hall as wellas the next-door 14 foot ceiling studio LOFT roomsprovide a venue for lessons during the week, andAcoustic Jams and Candlelight Concerts on theweekend. Such performances include national andregional acts, as well as showcases of our ownRagamuffin students and artists!

MAY 3-18 FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS

MEASURE FOR MEASUREBarrington Hall in Roswell will host Shakespeare’scontroversial “Measure for Measure,” which dealswith this same moral question: what makes asinner? This is one of Shakespeare’s sleepercomedies, a hilariously bawdy romp that sneaks insome thought-provoking insights on what’s reallyhappening behind your neighbor’s front doors.Friday and Saturday nights May 3-18 at 8 p.m.,Mother’s Day matinee May 12 at 4 p.m. Seatingbegins at 7 p.m. Admission is free/suggesteddonation of $5 northfultondramaclub.org.

MAY 8

MOTHER’S DAY CRAFTSThe Roswell Library, 115 Norcross Street, will hosta painting session for elementary schoolersinspired by Spanish art. These would make theperfect Mother’s Day gifts. Class is limited to 20participants and registration begins May 1.Program is free. For more info, [email protected] or call 770-640-3075.

MAY 8

GEORGIA SIGNERS OF THEDECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCEBarrington Hall Wednesday Lecture Seriespresents Georgia signers of the Declaration ofIndependence, by Jack Ferguson. Admission is $5per person. Reservations strongly suggested.Lecture begins at 7 p.m. and doors open at 6:30p.m. Complimentary light refreshments available.770-640-3855 to schedule or for additionalinformation.

MAY 9, 16, 23, 30

ZUMBAThe Roswell Library, 115 Norcross Street, will hostZumba classes from 11 a.m. to noon. Participantswill party themselves into shape with a certifiedZumba instructor with an hour of exercise, dance,and music. Sign-ups begin at the adult referencedesk 30 minutes before each session, withparticipation limited to the first 25 people. The

cost is free. [email protected] call: 770-640-3075

MAY 11-12

COLORS FESTIVAL OF ARTSThe Historic Town Square will host the ColorsFestival of Arts Mother’s Day Weekend. Presentedby the Roswell Junior Women’s Club, the festivalwill celebrate the arts and springtime. Artists fromthe Southeast present a dazzling and colorfularray of fine arts, original crafts, children’sactivities, music, and performing arts, and aselection of food vendors to help you celebrateMom’s special day. For more info, visitwww.visitroswellga.com or call 770-640-3253.

MAY 11

ROSWELL BEERFESTIVALPastis Restaurant on

Canton Street will hostthe Roswell Beer Festival.

The event will take place from 12p.m. to 5 p.m. in the restaurant parking lot. $30.roswellbeerfestival.eventbrite.com.

MAY 11

CROCODILE CRAWLThe Fellowship Bible Church, 480 West CrossvilleRoad, will host a “Crocodile Crawl” 5K run at 8:30a.m. The event will raise money for a ministryassisting victims of abuse and trafficking inCambodia. For more info and registration, visitwww.freedomproject.tv.

MAY 11

FRANK VIGNOLA WITH VINNYRANIOLOThe duo of Frank Vignola and Vinny Raniolo willtackle a unique, high-energy repertoire featuringcontemporary tunes by The Police, Frank Zappa,and Black Sabbath as well as not-so-contemporarynumbers by Bach and Mozart, and jaw-dropping,lightning fast gypsy jazz originals. 8 p.m. atUnitarian Universalist Metro Atlanta North, 11420Crabapple Rd., Roswell, GA, 30075. Tickets are$30/advance and $35/door. 770-365-7738.

MAY 11

ROCKIN’ AT THE RIVERThe Chattahoochee Nature Center will host anevening of food, drink, music, and fun beginning at7:30 p.m. The Fulton County Ramblers and theMike Veal Band will provide the music. Tickets tothe main event are $150, while tickets to thepatron reception beginning at 6:30 p.m. and themain event are $250. Proceeds benefit the naturecenter. www.chatnaturecenter.org.

MAY 11

TEA WITH BEATRIXPOTTER Residents can come toBarrington Hall to meetbeloved author “BeatrixPotter” as she brings PeterRabbit, Jemima Puddleduck, Tom

Kitten and other childhood friends to life with hercaptivating storytelling and puppet mastery. $10per person. Seating is limited and advancereservations are required. Call 770-640-3855.

MAY 14, 21, 28

ENGLISH AS A SECONDLANGUAGEFrom 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Roswell BranchLibrary, 115 Norcross Street, those of all levels arewelcome to free English as a Second Languageclasses. The class is recommended for [email protected] or call 770-640-3075.

MAY 16

ALIVE AFTER FIVE Alive After Five will take place in Roswell's historicdistrict. This is the event that gained Canton Streetthe official designation as a Georgia Great Street.Enjoy live music, outside vendors, extended retailhours, face painting, free trolley, and more! Formore information, visitwww.aliveafterfiveroswell.com.

MAY 17

BEATLESTRIBUTECONCERTThe Michael O’NealSingers will be joined atRoswell UnitedMethodist Church bythe most respectedBeatles Tribute band inthe business, The

Return. The Return has been called by PeteBeaudrault, President/CEO of Hard Rock Café as“absolutely the next best thing to the originals!”The Return has performed all over the world,including the Cavern in Liverpool, Abbey RoadStudios in London, and in Japan as headliners atthe 40th anniversary celebration of the Beatlesvisit to Tokyo. $20 for adults and $15 for seniorsand students in advance and $22 and $17respectively at the door. Artists’ Circle tickets are$50. For more information, call 770-594-7974.

MAY 21

ITALIAN COMFORTSFOR THE BUSY COOKRoswell’s Salud Cooking Schoolat Harry’s Alpharetta on UpperHembree Road will be hosting arustic Italian course from 6:30p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Learn to make simpleItalian artisanal specialties from scratch withElisa Gambino of Via Elisa. Elisa is theentrepreneur behind Via Elisa fresh pasta andsauces. Cost is $45. For more info, call 770-442-3354 or visit .wholefoods.com/saludalpharetta

MAY 22

GHOSTS OF ROSWELL Barrington Hall Wednesday Lecture Seriespresents Ghosts of Roswell, by Dianna Avena ofRoswell Ghost Tours. Admission is $5 per person.Reservations strongly suggested. Lecture begins at

7 p.m. and doors open at 6:30 p.m. Complimentarylight refreshments available. Call 770-640-3855to schedule or for additional information.

MAY 27

ROSWELL REMEMBERS THE DEADThe Memorial Gardens at City Hall, 38 Hill Street,will hold a ceremony for Memorial Day. Exhibitswill open at 10 a.m., with the ceremony at 11 a.m.and a BBQ lunch afterward. First LieutenantCharles G. Shepherd Jr., who served in theGeorgia-raised 121st Infantry Regiment in Europeduring WWII, is guest speaker. Shepherd’s honorsinclude the Silver Star for gallantry, two BronzeStars, and two Purple Hearts.

MAY 29

GEORGIA SIGNERS OF THECONSTITUTION Barrington Hall’s Wednesday Lecture Seriespresents Georgia Signers of the Constitution, byJack Ferguson. Admission is $5 per person.Reservations strongly suggested. Lecture at 7 p.m.and doors open at 6:30 p.m. Complimentary lightrefreshments available. Call 770-640-3855.

JUNE 1

RIVERSIDE FARMERS MARKETThe Roswell City Hall parking lot will host theRiverside Market beginning June 1. Farm-freshvegetables, sun ripened fresh fruit and berries,fragrant herbs, beautiful flowers and plants,organic compost, artisan cheeses, organic herbalsoaps, and more. 8 a.m. to noon. New vendorscontact Rolando Orellana by phone at 770-231-4214 or [email protected].

JUNE 8

RIVER RUN FOR HOPESt. Andrew Catholic Church will host a 5K/10K and1 mile race along the river to support medical andeducational work in Ghana. Registration begins at6 a.m. 10K and 5K races start at 7:30 a.m. and themile run/walk at 8:20 a.m. Awards ceremony 9a.m. Registration prior to May 31 is $25; After andrace day, $30. Register for the one-mile for $5 atany time. www.active.com or [email protected].

MAY 8, 15, 22, 29

JUNIOR BRIDGEThe Alpharetta Library, 238 Canton Street, willhost Junior Bridge. Participants will be able tolearn a fascinating card game, meet new friends,improve their math skills, develop critical thinking,and have fun. Recommended for those 10-18. Eachsession runs from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 [email protected] or call 770-740-2425.

MAY 9

TASTE OF ALPHARETTAJoin us for the largest “Taste of” festival in theSouth at the 23rd Annual Taste of Alpharetta. Dineat over 50 restaurants in one unforgettable nightthat has become an annual tradition for 50,000families, foodies and festival-goers. Sample a widevariety of delicious appetizers, entrees anddesserts. Experience the Culinary Arts stage areafeaturing Chef’s Competitions and cookingdemonstrations. Enjoy live music on 2 stages. Playat the Fun Zone. Party with metro area radiostations. 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. in historic downtownAlpharetta. Free. 678-297-6000.

MAY 11, 18, 25 SATURDAYS

ALPHARETTA FARMERS’ MARKETThose coming to Historic Downtown Alpharettafrom 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. will find farmers withfruits and vegetables, gardeners with fresh flowersand plants, and makers of all sorts of edible homegoods from yummy desserts to local raw honey andhomemade sauces and jellies. The event will runeach Saturday until mid-October.

MAY 11-12

HORSE/CARRIAGE RIDES FOR MOMSScottsdale Farms Nursery, 15639 BirminghamHighway, will host free horse and carriage rides formothers and their families at 11 a.m. on May 11 andMay 12. Moms will also receive free hand-dippedice cream. 770-777-5875.

MAY 15

JAZZ BENEATH THE STARSParticipants will hear music in the tradition ofChicago/New York, BG Quartet, West Coast, NewOrleans jazz bands, and combos at the ChukkarFarm on Liberty Grove Road. General admission$25.00. Tables for 4 $120; for 8 $240. Time TBA.www.atlantajazzparty.com or call 770-645-6844.

MAY 25-26

ALPHARETTA ART IN THE PARK.Look for artists at work creating masterpiecesright before your eyes at this outdoor marketunder the trees that attracts art lovers andexhibitors from all over the Atlanta area. The eventwill take place at Old Milton Park from 10 a.m to 5p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

MAY 25

THE BREEZE KINGSMatilda’s on South Main Street offers live outdoormusic “Under the Pines” throughout the springand summer months. May 25 will be the BreezeKings, an Atlanta blues band. Bring your lawnchairs, a picnic and even your dog for anunforgettably laid back evening of entertainment.Bring your own food and drinks. Purchase ticketsat the door for $15; kids under 16 free whenaccompanied by an adult.

JUNE 1

BREW MOON SUMMERFESTBeginning at 6:30 p.m., the annual beer fest brings

historic downtown Alpharetta to life with greatfood and beverages to purchase. People can bring

ROSWELL

ALPHARETTA

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At North Fulton Hospital

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their own chairs or buytables. Price TBA. Formore information, call

404-402-5389. Theevent is for those 21

and older.

JUNE 8

YOUTH FISHING DERBYChildren ages 4-12 accompanied by adultare invited to participate in the YouthFishing Derby sponsored by the City ofAlpharetta Recreation and ParksDepartment at 3625 Brookside Parkway.Prizes will be awarded for longest fishand most fish caught. Bring fishing gearand bait. The event is free, but pre-registration is required. Space is limitedto the first 80 children. To pre-register,call 678-297-6133.

MAY 15

MARIETTA GHOST TOURSpirits and Spirits Ghost Tour — Meet atthe Historic Marietta Trolley office andwalk to a local restaurant to enjoy oneglass of wine (included) while listening to

ghost stories.Depart into theSquare for aone-hourwalking ghosttour. Begins at

7:30 p.m. and is for adults only. Paidreservations are required in advance.770-425-1006 or GhostsOfMarietta.com.

MAY 17-19

MARIETTA GREEK FESTIVALThe Holy Transfiguration Greek OrthodoxChurch, 3431 Trickum Road, will host athree-day Greek festival complete withfood, entertainment, and shopping. Theevent will run from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. May17, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. May 18, and 11 a.m.to 7 p.m. May 19. Parking will beavailable at Simpson Middle School,Lassiter High School, and the Church ofLatter Day Saints on Trickum Road.

MAY 23

CHARITY GOLFTOURNAMENTThe Cobblestone Golf Course in Acworthwill host a golf tournament benefitingMUST Ministries and Habitat forHumanity. 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., withregistration from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. and theshotgun start at 1 p.m .mustministries.org.

MAY 26-27

MEMORIAL DAYCOMMEMORATION The Kennesaw Mountain NationalBattlefield Park is hosting a variety ofpatriotic events to be announced. Free.770-427-4686 or visit nps.gov/kemo.

JUNE 7-23

JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING

TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOATThe Atlanta Lyric Theatre presents thiswell-known biblical tale of a young manwith a very special gift and some very bigadventures! All performances will be atthe Earl Smith Strand. For moreinformation, call 404-377-9948 or visitwww.AtlantaLyricTheatre.com.

JUNE 7

DONOVAN’S THIRD ANNUALGOLF TOURNAMENTThe Towne Lake Hills Golf Club inWoodstock will host its third annual golftournament benefiting Cobb County’sMUST Ministries. $150 for new sponsors,$100 for returning sponsors. Players are$100 each; teams $400. Registrationdeadline is April 15. The tournament willrun from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The club islocated at 1003 Towne Lake Hills EastWoodstock, GA 30189. For more info, seewww.donovansirishcobbler.com.

MAY 8

DUETS WITH TREY LORENZTrey Lorenz began his career supportingMariah Carey on her 1990 promotionaltour and provided background vocals forher album “Emotions.” He assisted Careyon later albums and recorded and co-wrote “Make You Happy” for the “Men InBlack” soundtrack and recorded “I’m StillNot Over You” for the “Money Train”soundtrack. In 2006 he released asecond label and in 2010 sang a duet of“O Holy Night” with Jessica Simpson. Hewill be at the Velvet Note, 4075 OldMilton Parkway, from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.Tickets $10. For more information, visitwww.thevelvetnote.com.

MAY 9-11

LYNNEKOPLITZThe Punchlinecomedy club willhost LynneKoplitz. Koplitzstars alongsideJoan Rivers in“Mother Knows Best” and has appearedin Tru TV’s “The World’s DumbestCriminals” and TBS’s “Bitcoms.” She hasher own Comedy Central Presents half-hour special and co-hoested “Life andStyle” with Kimora Lee Simmons andJules Asner. For show times and ticketprices, visit punchline.com.

MAY 10-11

MYKE HERLIHYOriginally from Manchester, CT, MykeHerlihy is the best “loveable jerk” you’llmeet. After 13 years behind bars (servingdrinks, not time), he now brings hisbartender’s wit to Roswell’s Bonkerzcomedy club. Tickets are $12. Showtimesare 9 p.m. May 10 and 8 p.m. and 9:45

p.m May 11. For more info, seeroswell.bonkerzcomedy.com.

MAY 10

REINHALDO BRAHN ANDJIM BROCKBrahn first picked up his brother’s guitarat 14 and quickly learned traditionalBrazilian music. In 2007, he left Braziliangroup Soul Makube to embark on a solocareer in the United States. Hisperformance at the Velvet Note, 4075Old Milton Parkway, will be accompaniedby Emmy-nominated percussionist JimBrock, who has recorded with Joe Walshof the Eagles, the indigo Girls, and KathyMattea. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m and9:30 p.m. and tickets are $20. For moreinfo, visit www.thevelvetnote.com.

MAY 11

THE HIBBARD WRIGHTPROJECTThe foundation of the collaborationbetween the members of TheHibbard/Wright Project is an immenseappreciation for original compositions,specifically, compositions that encompassa wide variety of musical genres.Straight-ahead jazz? Instrumental Indierock? Avoiding the need to brand theirmusic, The Hibbard/Wright Project is aperfect demonstration of thecollaboration between award winningcomposers and musicians. While stillcontaining well-crafted improvisations,the writing is what takes center stage onthis exciting new project by four ofAtlanta’s most well respected musicians.Showtimes at the Velvet Note, 7:30 p.m.and 9:30 p.m. $20. thevelvetnote.com.

MAY 15

KENNY HEADDo you have a wedding song you’d loveto hear again? A tune that reminds youof your first love or first car? Come to theVelvet Note, 4075 Old Milton Parkway,for an informal evening in which theaudience may select any song to beperformed by Kenny Head. Hisprofessional career spans nearly 40years. The event will last from 7 p.m. to9:30 p.m. Tickets are $10.

MAY 17-18

CHRIS COPELadies and Gentleman clear off yourplates; here comes the “Big Portion.” Thenickname of Chris Cope holds two truths.First, he’s an extra-large guy with anextra-large sense of humor. Secondly, hiscomedy will leave patron’s of Roswell’sBonkerz comedy club full, smiling andentertained. Tickets are $12. Showtimesare 9 p.m. May 17 and 8 p.m. and 9:45p.m May 18. roswell.bonkerzcomedy.com.

MAY 17-18

JOHN HEFFRONThe Punchline comedy club will host“Last Comic Standing” second season

EAST COBB

ENTERTAINMENT

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winner JohnHeffron. Heffronhas appeared on“Comedy CentralPresents” and “TheTonight Show WithJay Leno.” Hetoured with Charlie

Murphy and Joe Rogan in the 2006 “RealMen of Comedy” tour and has releasedhis own board game and three CDs. Forshow times and ticket prices, visitwww.punchline.com.

MAY 17

ANNIE SELLICKAnnie Sellick’s jazz journey began whenshe sat with guitarist Roland Gresham’sgroup at a club near her college. Afterworking for a year with that trio, shehoned her skills at the Nashville JazzWorkshop and has since become amainstay at many jazz venues in the city.She is a regular member of and vocalistfor the Nashville Jazz Orchestra and hastoured all over the country and in Canadaand Germany. Showtimes at the VelvetNote, 4075 Old Milton Parkway, are 7:30p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $20.www.thevelvetnote.com.

MAY 18

DARIUS RUCKER WITHJUSTIN MOORE AND JANAKRAMERAfrican-American country singer DariusRucker, who has recently released hissecond album, will take the stage at theVerizon Wireless Amphitheatre. Theconcert begins at 7:30 p.m.; doors openat 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices range from$24.00 to $69. For more information andto buy tickets, visit www.vzwamp.com.

MAY 18

WADE BAKERWade Baker’s versatility makes him fitcomfortably playing with many differenttypes of artists in many different styles onmany different instruments. He hasplayed Bass Guitar at several of thecountry’s leading blues festivals(International Blues Challenge, BeanBlossom Blues Festival and CincinnatiBlues Festival) in addition to the manyJazz Festivals he has been a part ofplaying his trumpet. Wade has alsofronted his own band playing guitar andsinging at such festivals as the OlneyBlues Festival, the Cincinnati WinterBlues Festival and many more.

Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.Tickets are $20. For more information,visit www.thevelvetnote.com.

MAY 18

GRINGO STARSwallow at the Hollow in Roswell willhost Atlanta’s own indie rock groupGringo Star, which has been described as“Everlys meet Davies.” The show starts at10 p.m. Tickets are $10. For more info, seefacebook.com/gringostarmusic.

MAY 20

JEFF JUSTICE COMEDYCLASS GRADUATIONJeff Justice has taught literally hundredsof people how to convert what was oncea dream of performing comedy to thereality of a graduation performance atThe Punchline. On May 20 at 8 p.m., hewill graduate another class of comediansbound for stages around the country.Tickets are $15. For more info, visitwww.punchline.com.

MAY 22

DAVID SANBORN ANDJONATHAN BUTLERSix-time Grammy-winning altosaxophonist David Sanborn will take thestage at the Cobb Energy PerformingArts Centre along with guitarist andvocalist Jonathan Butler. Between thetwo of them they have extensive jazzcredibility, including Sanborn’srecordings with Stevie Wonder andLuther Vandross and Butler’s concert andfestival performances all over the world.The performance will be at 8 p.m. Ticketprices vary. For more information, visitwww.cobbenergycentre.com.

MAY 24-25

WARREN DURSOA native New Yorker, Warren Dursostarted his career playing drumsprofessional at the age of 9. Havingtoured with various bands, he entered thecomedy scene in the early 1990s, touringwith the “Outlaws of Comedy” and the“Disciples of Comedy.” He has performedstand-up all over the world alongsideluminaries like Jeff Dunham, Jamie Foxx,Larry the Cable Guy, and NormMcDonald. He has also appeared infeature films and performed for the USO.Tickets for his performance at Bonkerz inRoswell are $12. Showtimes are 9 p.m.May 24 and 8 p.m. and 9:45 p.m May 25.roswell.bonkerzcomedy.com.

MAY 24

THE SECOND CITY:LAUGHING MATTERS Chicago’s legendary sketch comedytheatre, The Second City: LaughingMatters will come to the Roswell CulturalArts Center at 8 p.m. The show willfeature some of the best sketches, songs,and improvisations from The SecondCity’s fifty two year history Tickets $30.www.roswellpresents.com. See article,page 28.

MAY 25

THE BONAVENTUREQUARTETThe Bonaventure Quartet’s repertoire isdiverse, with performances of classicstandards, western swing, gypsy jazz,and original compositions all fall underthe spell of the Reinhardt influence.Moviegoers might be familiar with thisstyle featured in the Woody Allen film“Sweet and Lowdown,” or “Chocolat.”Bonaventure received Creative Loafing‘sCritics Pick award for Best Local Jazz.Showtimes at the Velvet Note, 4075 OldMilton Parkway, are 7:30 p.m. and 9:30p.m. $20. thevelvetnote.com.

MAY 25

EEL PIESwallow at the Hollow in Roswell willhost Eel Pie, a British-inspired blues rockband that cannot shake its members’Southern upbringing. The music willfeature Swallow at the Hollow resident DJMathis Hunter. Tickets $10; 10 p.m.

MAY 31-JUNE 1

ERIC HUNTERBonkerz in Roswell will host Eric Hunter,a clean, funny, bright, friendly, andoriginal performer. His topics include hisIrish Catholic family, education, sports,and relationships. He’s best known for hishilarious, deadpan attempt to impress thewomen in the audience. He was a semi-finalist at the Boston Comedy Festival in2008 and at The New York ComedyContest in 2009 and 2010. Tickets for hisperformance are $12. Showtimes are 9p.m. May 31 and 8 p.m. and 9:45 p.mJune 1. roswell.bonkerzcomedy.com.

MAY 2013see thecurrentplus.com for more out & about • community • music • food • garden • real estate •business • health & wellness • life 33

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School Is Almost OutBy Phylis Simone

Hooray for less traffic and fastercommutes! Cobb County Schools’ lastday is May 23, 2013. The Taste of East Cobb and

Festival is Saturday May 4 at a newlocation this year. The event has foodfrom the area’s finest restaurants, artsand crafts, kids activities, live music,silent auction, and more. Theadmission is free and tastes are $1 to$5. It’s held at The Fountains of OldeTown Shopping Center, 736 JohnsonFerry Road. For more info visitwww.tasteofeastcobb.com.Animal Lovers please come out

to support Good Mews at theirSpring FleaMarket. Findgreat bargains ona variety of items.All proceeds ben-efit Good MewsAnimalFoundation, alocal non-profitorganization thatoperates a volun-teer-basedno-kill shelter for homeless, abused,and abandoned cats. Donations forthe flea market accepted at thestorefront every Saturday (10 a.m.-2pm) and Sunday (12-3pm) until May5, and by appointment during theweek. To schedule a donation email:[email protected]. Theyare located at Piedmont Commons(Publix) Shopping Center, 1050 E.Piedmont Road, Marietta, 30062. Formore info call 770-499-2287 or visitwww.goodmews.org.The 2nd Annual Cobb Hobbler

on May 4th is more than a 1 mile funrun, 5k or 10k race. It is anopportunity for the East Cobb commu-nity of over 80,000 households and220,000 people to get together andsupport education, physical activity,and the well-being of the community.Start and finish lines are at theLassiter High School track at 2601Shallowford Rd NE, Marietta, GA30066. The runners’ meeting is at7:45 a.m. and the Fun Run begins at7:30 a.m., with the 5k & 10k starts at

8:00 a.m. Walkers are welcome, how-ever, for safety everyone must be ableto complete their course by 10:00 a.m.when the roads open back up. MoreInformation: www.cobbhobbler.org.The 9th Annual Cobb Senior

Idol, on May 7, will be an afternoon ofmusic, comedy, and dance ascontestants battle it out to be 2013Cobb Senior Idol. The event is at 1p.m. and tickets are just $5. It’s held atthe Jennie Anderson Theater, 548South Marietta Parkway, Marietta,30060. Interested performers call 770-528-1445.Yoga with Lisa Jones is teaming

up with Road Runner Sports to bringawareness to Ovarian CancerResearch. Road Runner will donate$4 for each student who attends Yogafor a Cure on Thursday, May 9, from 9a.m. to 10 a.m. The event will feature amorning of incredible strengthening,lengthening and toning while support-ing Ovarian Cancer Research. Thisfree event will take place at RoadRunner Sports, 1311 Johnson FerryRoad in East Cobb.

If you’re looking for the perfectpooch please stop by Angels Among

Us Pet Adoptions at The AvenueEast Cobb, near Origins, on May 11and May 25, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Organizations wishing to addtheir events to our list are asked toemail the information [email protected] or [email protected]

Phylis Simoni lives in East Cobband is a Realtor with Keller WilliamsRealty, Cityside. You can reach her at404-456-2683 or [email protected] orvisit her website www.psimoni.com.

East Cobb BeatPHYLIS SIMONI

By Frank Mack

It’s been an all over yummy funmonth for me so strap in we got lotsto cover and not enough space to do itin. You can pick any day of the monthand something is happening or about

to inRoswell/CantonStreet,Alpharetta, andthe MariettaSquare. It’s rock-ing out there andit’s fixing to be aheck of asummer.

After nearly ayear ofrefinishing and

reconstruction Mac McGee’s IrishPub in the “Hell Yeah” red storefronthas finally opened. First off, being inthe antique/decorating biz myself Ihave to tip my hat to the design andinterior. It’s perfect, gorgeous,comfortable like old slippers and builtwith a sense of Irish/big city/pub style

that works incredibly well. As pretty and wonderful as the

space is the story is about the people.Owners Andy, Robert, and Cortneycome from Decatur where the firstand quite successful Mac McGee’s hasbeen since 2010. In the kitchen, chefLarry Powers has 20 some years inthe trenches, including 4 years inIreland, which included finding hisIrish bride. The man is ready to takeon complete creative control. He hasthe talent, the experience and theknowledge to be both steady with oldpub favorites while keeping foodies inthe loop with his own handmade pud-dings, breads and bangers.

Joining chef Larry is an amazinglybrilliant sous/pastry chef AlannaKrull, who at 18 was grading physicspapers at Harvard. Do you know whathappens when you unleash incrediblytalented and scary smart people likethis team in a kitchen? You getwonderful food. Huh, who would havethought? Really smart talented peoplerun really fine wonderful spaces mak-

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Foodie News

FRANK MACK

Yes...That Red Building On Canton Street Is Finally Open

Executive Chef Larry Powers and Sous Chef Alanna Krull in the upstairs area of Mac McGee’s.

ing really great things to eat.I have been through the

Sheppard’s Pie, the Irish Breakfastand the Fish and Chips. Everythingfresh from the fields, oceans and gar-dens, all as local as possible, neverfrozen, handmade, homemade, fromtheir hearts and hands to your table.It’s good people, real good. Ladiesand Gents, bring your next businesslunch there, you’ll impress yourfriends.

The lineup of stouts, ales andsmall batch whiskeys is in thehundreds and will grow like crazy intheir hands. They fully intend to haveupwards of 500 small batch whiskeysbefore they are done and I believethem. The list is already complex andexciting. And this is where it getseven more interesting; allow me tointroduce to town Fred and Johnny,the barmen at Mac McGees.

Johnny is almost the poor Irish in

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Sometimes things just don’t work out between people. It doesn't make forbad people, it just makes for bad partnerships and sadly I have to reportthat The Mill in Roswell turned out to be just that, an unsuccessful partnership.

So I am saddened to report that the extensive report on The Mill for theMay edition of The Current is no longer applicable. Chef Marc Taft and TheMill have parted ways after barely a month together. And my last meal thereis evidence of just that. The Mill has gone from exceptional to barely averagein just weeks. The Mill remains an attractive site, if they remember to putup the mops anyway. But the exceptional food that had me so excited and en-thusiastic just isn't there any more.

I have been through the just opened North on Canton or NOCA as it’ssigned. I’ll say this. If the food is as good as the look it will be anotherwinner, no doubt. Its bar is instantly one of the coolest on Canton, wayworth stopping in and checking out.

One more new item to report. Pure Taqueria on Alpharetta Hwy., hasopened a new rooftop deck. It’s a serious iron construction, no wiggle in thisthing at all! It soars over the highway and parking putting you up in thetreetops for an always-great Pure Margarita alongside the seriously goodfood that is expected from a Sedgwick Restaurant and Pure’s reputation. Allwith a view like no other.

The first Alive After 5 went off like a street party should. Not stupid, notout of control but well planned, well organized. An example of grace and anAmerican community doing it right. Thousands and thousands of locals outto enjoy it all. Not in a bad way, it’s great people watching that’s for sure, butwith Canton Street closed off in that two-block section it has made all thedifference in the world. It reminded me of the best days at the county fairswhen I was a kid and everything was simpler.

Food? You kidding? You can go from top end steaks or just spend a fewbucks and indulge the street food. It’s all-good, it’s all there and it’s all ours.

Smart, cool, talented people make smart incredible excellent food in greatspaces and you best get out and enjoy it all this summer and that goes forRoswell, the Marietta Square, and what Alpharetta are all building up.

This is our new America ladies and gentleman. Come out and help build itand be a part of it.

Foodie News & Notes

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this story because unlike Fred whogrew up with a bedroom windowoverlooking the Guinness Brewery,Johnny is just from Cork. And waittill you meet them. Irish? The onlyway to get more Irish is to shrink toabout 2 foot, dye your hair and showup only on Saint Pat’s day with a pintin hand before 8 a.m.

Fred also graduated a four-year ap-prenticeship to become a truly

professional Irish Barman. Folks,this is not anywhere or anything likewhat the average bartender here doesto get their job.

And one last note there. They aregoing for the Canton Street long ballof staying open late. Real late. Sevendays a week, 11:30 a.m. until 2 a.m.,3 a.m. Thur. through Sat.

Dr. Schneider, with Resurgens Orthopaedics, did an AMAZING job caringfor my daughter’s broken arm. I can’t thank the man enough!

Leo was playing PinkFloyd (my favoriteband!) on his guitar,as passersby tossedchange in his case.

“That’s my meal,” hesaid nodding towardshis tips, “I’m out hereevery day playingmusic so I can eat.”

The soldier sharedstories of the CivilWar. “They sent themen here to soberup,” he said with asmirk on his face, aswe looked around atthe people enjoyingbeer and wine withtheir meals nearby.

Hayleigh wrapped her arms around Thaebo’sneck, and the dog smiled in approval!

I love seeing people weartheir babies. John proudly

wore his sweet sonColemanout and about at

Alive After Five.

“There is just no angry wayto say ‘Bubbles’!”

Quote from he Mastery’s Blog “Alwayshave a whimsical approach.I like to keep a light heartabout things. Being tooserious is never all thatmuch fun. So, fall in lustwith something that makesyou smile, makes yougiggle, makes you blush,and makes you feel youngand spontaneous. I lovecoming across images thatjust evoke those feelingsand those thoughts. Theyopen up my think engine tothings that are fresh andplayful.”

capturedinthecurrentI have a confession tomake: I’ve had a terrible,horrible, no good, very badmonth. We’ve allexperienced times whenthings just didn’t seem tobe going our way. It’s sotempting to hide away inan attempt to avoid thebad. But if you withdrawfrom the world, you missthe good, too! I ventured out to AliveAfter 5 in Historic Roswelland I met some fabulouspeople! ~ Lisa Eckman

MAY 2013see thecurrentplus.com for more music • out & about • music • food • garden • real estate • business • health & wellness • life 37

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Belly’s Pizza is known for some of thebest pizza around. Beyond great eatsthey also serve up some fantastic enter-tainment on their patio. The ambienceat Belly’s is laid back and is usuallybacked by a live artist to entertaincustomers as they enjoy a slice of home-made pizza and a cold beer. Last monthlocal Atlanta blues band, The BreezeKings, rocked the Belly’s patio to theiroriginal songs with their smooth guitarriffs, heart-pounding bass, and ofcourse, the quintessential bluesharmonica. Another artist who can beheard is Roswell’s own Marty Nickel,who plays the Belly’s patio everyThursday.

Named after his daughter Ella,Belly’s Pizza has been locally owned andoperated by Mike Heald since 2007.Located in Roswell at 550 W. CrossvilleRoad, Belly’s is known for its eclecticarray of pizza. Home to uncommon piessuch as Prosciutto and Goat Cheese,Jerk Chicken and Vinaigrette, there issurely a topping for everyone to enjoy.“It’s high quality food,” said Heald. “Wehave an array of different pizzas that arenot normal, but people really enjoy.”

Along with the original pizza recipes,Belly’s serves up a variety of differentsalads. Offering homemade salads rang-ing from your typical House or Greek,to a garden filled with Buffalo Chicken,everything from Belly’s is prepared withonly fresh ingredients. If pizza or saladdoesn’t meet your needs, Belly’s has youcovered with one of its half-pound NewYork-Style Deli Sandwiches. “We havethe best Rueben in Roswell, I think it’s

safe to say,” Heald mentioned. Inaddition to the variety of pizzas, saladsand sandwiches, Belly’s original appetiz-ers include their Olive Tapenade andSpinach and Artichoke Dip.

Belly’s also has a catering menu forspecial events including entrees such aschicken picatta and baked ziti.

After moving locations in 2010,Belly’s was able to acquire more spaceto implement two dining rooms, a fullbar, game room and a large patio. “It’s aplace where mom and dads can have agood time and kids can be happy too,”said Heald. “We have the bar so the par-ents can enjoy it while they give theirkids quarters to play games, or chalk sothey can draw out on the patio.” Thepatio is also great for hosting parties forbirthdays and sports teams.

Now located on highway 92(Crossville Road) just passed Kohl’s,Belly’s has become the new spot towatch any big game, especially duringfootball season. On Sunday’s during thefall you’ll find a bar full of die-hard NFLfans supporting their respective teamsand like any other NFL-enthusiast,eager for fantasy points. Every weekendduring the NFL season you can partici-pate in games at Belly’s, such as theirteam-picking challenge.

With drink specials for margaritas,beer and wine, Belly’s is the Roswellheadquarters for a good time this sum-mer. As always, they will be hostingtheir annual 4th of July party where, ofcourse, the Roswell fireworks can beseen from the patio.

Belly’s also offers free delivery by calling 770-594-8118. �

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Retail• Pearle Vision p.7

• Jewelry Refinery p.14• Haarmony Salon p.14• Appleton Learning p.17• Edible Arrangements p.23• Scott Antiques p.23• Hear Rite p.25• Auto Rescue p.25

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Restaurants• Belly’s Pizza p.33

• Brickhouse Pizza p.35

ness success, which includes a propernumber of teams, sponsorship oftournaments, plus supplementalinstruction and clinics for players andcoaches—in that order.

When asked about the risksassociated with having a baseballrelated business, Andrews said theweather, while Beam said choosing abad teacher—some who were once high-profile, successful players are notnecessarily good instructors or vice-versa.

Andrews estimates that the cost for astudent-athlete to play on a team at 6-4-3 DP over the course of a year rangesfrom $800-3,200, with some playerspaying less if they receive financial aid.This does not include additional privateinstruction. For ECB, Beam estimatesanywhere from $0 for an occasionalplayer needing scholarship support to$3500 prior to private instruction,which can range from $1,000-3,500.The struggling economy in recent yearsdid not seem to hit the larger programsdramatically partly because of the base-ball bubble that we live in (althoughsome smaller training facilities faltered).Most families consider the money an in-vestment in their children as opposed todiscretionary funds—an investment interms of possible baseball opportunities

as well as general self-discipline forwhatever field they ultimately aspire to.

Showcase event tournaments such asthe “Perfect Game World Wood BatChampionships” have brought ongoingenthusiasm for youth baseball, scoutingopportunities, and notoriety to our com-munity. Four weeks each summer 300teams per week come from around thecountry and require 30 fieldsthroughout East Cobb, Roswell, andAlpharetta and showcase the quality ofplayers, coaches, facilities, grounds andorganization that exists in our suburbanhavens. In 2010 it was announced that anew sports complex will be built inEmerson in North Georgia, backed byBobby Cox, Ned Yost, and FrediGonzalez. The site will take much of thePerfect Game competition. The impactof the site remains to be seen—it couldenhance the programs, or pull somefamilies to the area.

It appears that the baseball businessin North Atlanta is particularly resilientbecause of its strong foundation. Thereis also a poignant circle of life for manyparticipants in these programs. Kids re-turn as adults either professionally or asvolunteers because of the positive expe-rience it provided and instills. �

nectar plants will be available for sale.Witness the thrill of live butterflyreleases, enjoy crafts and face painting,participate in the annual ButterflyCostume Parade, create butterfly-themed sidewalk art, and more!Beautiful Biomes, August 3,

11 a.m. – 3 p.m. You walk on a biomeevery day, but have you ever wonderedwhat biome you live in? Biomes are ageographical areas classified by theplants and animals that live in them.Learn more about these geographic re-gions and the animals and plants thatdefine them.Run for NatureThe 35th Annual Possum Trot

10K Race and 1 Mile Fun Run takesplace on Saturday, June 1. A fundraiserfor the Chattahoochee Nature Center,the Possum Trot is also a qualifier forthe 2014 Peachtree Road Race. Thisfun, fast, and flat race course along thescenic Chattahoochee River gives run-ners all the right reasons to run!Register online at www.Active.com orat any Big Peach Running Companystore.

For a schedule of events by monthor age group, registration informationand more, go to chattnaturecenter.orgor call 770.992.2055. ChattahoocheeNature Center is located at 9135Willeo Rd. in Roswell. �

see thecurrentplus.com for more • out & about • community • real estate • music • food • garden • business • health & wellness38MAY 2013

East Cobb Baseball... continued16Chattahoochee Nature Center... continued13

Law Olmstead, who also designedPiedmont Park, tracked the values ofproperty adjacent to the park from1856 to 1873 to justify the $13 millioninvestment. He found that valuesincreased by an impressive $209million in those 17 years.

Beyond the economic case, the qual-ity of life benefits are huge. Simplybeing able to walk out the front doorand stroll to your park is a luxury thatis largely lost these days. We’ve chosento build our parks in places where it’stough to walk. Most of our parks havefew homes fronting them. Many ofthem are separated from residentialareas by busy street on at least oneside. Neighborhood parks have homesand businesses that front the park.People can walk right out into theirpark. They meet their neighbors thereand the best thing is that they can walkright back home when it’s time. SloanStreet Park is just that kind of park.

We need more parks like SloanStreet Park to start completing ourneighborhoods. You should check itout. It might not be special to you butthen again, it’s probably not yourneighborhood park. Where can webuild the next one? �Michael authors the blog newurban-

roswell.com. You may contact him at:[email protected]

Sloan Street Park... continued11

due to fears it’s dangerous to people’shealth.

Collins started writing the book inmid-2011 and finished it in early 2012.After being rejected by a couple agentsand publishers, Collins learned some ofthe books he already owned onskepticism were published byPrometheus Books, which haspublished a number of skepticism-themed books. Since they accepteddirect submissions, he pitched the con-cept to them in June 2011. The bookpremiered in October 2012. Collins saidwhere non-fiction is concerned, publish-ers will accept a book based on aconcept rather than a completed manuscript.Bullspotting, Collins says, has been

well received thus far. There have beena few negative reviews, some from devo-tees of UFOs and alternative medicine.This was expected, because of the very

nature of the work.Collins has learned from the

feedback. One criticism he agrees withis that he overuses certain examples,which he attributes to the book’s earlyfocus on birtherism. An ironic lessonlearned is that he needs to be morethorough in editing, and double-checkhis own research. Collins cites a quoteby Ernest Hemingway, taken from anauthentic interview that was printed ina reputable magazine source, TheAtlantic.

However, Collins states thatHemingway’s quote is from 1964, andHemingway died in 1961. The interviewtook place a few years before the articlewas published. In a book about spotting“bull,” this inaccuracy is especiallyembarrassing.

“A lesson for next time,” Collinsstated. �

facts displayed on serving line.Two big changes in recent years are the federal requirement that students

have fresh fruits and vegetables with their meals and increasing the whole grainofferings on the menu. Although implementing the changes has cost moremoney due to the higher costs of fresh fruits and vegetables, Cobb like Fultonhas received a $0.06 per meal subsidy. This translates to $700,000 annually.

One method Cobb schools have to judge if students like the food they’rebeing served is “Try It Tuesday.” Each month has a different entrée and differentvegetable recipe for students to taste. If they’re successful, they go on menu.Items adopted as a result of try-it Tuesdays include “Mardi Gras Salad” withcorn, black-eyed peas, and lentils. Chicken penne pasta has worked out well, ashas a new fish sandwich with homemade tartar sauce and broccoli salad.

Toon said menu changes have been well-received by parents, who are happyto see more healthy foods available. One challenge the system may have is intro-ducing students to whole grains. It might not be what they’re having at home.The school system has engaged students in the menu changes with a mobilekitchen demonstration cart. Local foods are used if possible—in mid-April,Florida strawberries were used to create a strawberry salsa served with whole-grain pita chips.�

Bullspotting... continued14Local Schools’ Food... continued15

Orthopaedic

Surgeon

Jeffrey P. Garrett, MD

now performing the

Anterior Approach to

Hip Replacement.

www.nfultonhospital.com

For more

information

or a referral to

a provider at

North Fulton

Hospital that

performs the

Anterior Approach

to total hip

replacement,

please call

770-751-2600.

The Current May 13

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