Monday
June 21—The week begins. Chad here with your your Monday morning newsletter.
🌩️ The rain starts to dissipate today, but the clouds are hanging around until Wednesday. Today's high is 84°. Yesterday was the the summer solstice, the longest day of the year.
🏀 The sun refuses to set on the Atlanta Hawks as their fairy-tail season continued with a 103-96 win last night in Game 7 on the road against the Philadelphia 76ers. For only the fourth time in franchise history, the Hawks are now in the Conference Finals.
Game 1 is at Milwaukee on Wednesday, June 23 at 8:30 p.m. (TV: TNT)
🎨 Art on the Atlanta BeltLine celebrates its 10th anniversary as the largest outdoor, temporary public art exhibition in the South with a commemorative book chronicling the artwork and contributions of the artists who have participated over the past decade.
🐈 The Atlanta community food initiative Free99Fridge has launched a new pet food giveaway with donations from the Atlanta Humane Society.
😢 And speaking of pets, our thoughts are with the Biden family as the president and first lady said goodbye to Champ, their 13-year old German Shepherd, on Saturday.
Today's Draft is five stories and includes the return of food trucks across the region and our look at some cool events for the week, including local faves the REMakes at City Winery on Friday, June 25.
Enjoy these long days and be grateful you're not the guy who finished last in his fantasy football league and was required to spend 24-hours in a Waffle House. Read how he fared over at ESPN.
See you Wednesday!
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*Sponsor Message* Since 1961, the doctors and professionals at Optimal Hearing have been helping our patients hear and communicate at their best ability. With a dozen convenient metro Atlanta clinics, better hearing is only a click away. Be the best you can be with the best hearing possible. Relax, we've been preparing for you for 60 years.
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1. The 'City in the Forest' meets the crime wave
🌲 The debate over how to reverse the region's growing crime trend is certain to be the focus of this year's mayoral and city council races. It's the driving force behind the Buckhead City movement to separate from Atlanta.
But, the current Atlanta mayor and City Council are in the thick of a growing debate over proposed plans to build a police and fire training facility on the old Atlanta Prison Farm property in DeKalb County (above).
According to our partners at the Saporta Report, in recent years, the City Council had unanimously adopted a plan to transform the land into the centerpiece of the forthcoming South River Forest Park.
Recently, however, the Atlanta Police Foundation and Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms have proposed turning almost half of the Prison Farm’s 348 acres into a massive public safety training campus complete with bomb detonation and explosion test facilities.
The plan is sponsored by Councilmember Joyce Sheperd who was the target of protesters who showed up at her house to voice their opposition to the plan. Late last week, the City Council announced a two-month postponement of a vote as they will hear more public comments.
The Nature Conservancy describes South River Forest as: "An incredible opportunity for the people of Atlanta to connect with nature in ways that benefit public health and wellness and generate economic opportunity."
Dave Wilkinson, president of the Atlanta Police Foundation, told Saporta Report that “No one wants to take down trees. But we are at a point in our city’s history. If we don’t start immediately building this training center, the number of our officers is going to continue to dwindle."
(Photo credit: Chad Radford.)
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2. Make room for food trucks
🚚 Just in time for summer, food trucks are rolling back into local communities after more than a year of being away. Along with Dunwoody’s Thursday event, Brookhaven just relaunched its Food Truck Nights, held Wednesday evening at Blackburn Park.
There’s also a new food truck park that just opened in the Upper Westside area of Atlanta, located to the west of Buckhead.
Called Upper Westside Yard, the food truck park opened in June at the former site of a barbecue restaurant that burned down years ago.
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3. Top picks for the week
🚚 Brookhaven Food Truck Roundup at Blackburn Park. Wednesday, June 23.
🐝 Picnics with Pollinators at the Dunwoody Nature Center. Thurs., June 24.
🏳️🌈 Southern Fried Queer Pride 2021 Festival at Best End Brewing. Thurs. - Sun., June 24-27.
🎸 Upchuck, The Difference Machine, Psychic Death, and Gage Gilmore at 529. Fri., June 25.
🎤 The REMakes: A Tribute to REM at City Winery. Fri., June 25.
🍷 An Afternoon with Marissa A. Ross and Korean Fusion (above) at the new Lucian Books and Wine. Sat., June 26.
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4. Painting the station
🚆The rails are getting a makeover in Dunwoody. A new mural will be unveiled at the Dunwoody MARTA station on June 22 at 11 a.m. during a special ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The mural is part of Dunwoody’s new partnership with MARTA and the Perimeter Community Improvement Districts (PCIDs), which aims to bring artistic and safety improvements to the Dunwoody rail station.
“Dunwoody Station is an essential hub for the Center Perimeter,” said Ann Hanlon, executive director of the PCIDs. “Our partnership with MARTA made it possible to enliven the space and experience for professionals who use the many last-mile shuttles in the district.”
Atlanta artist Neka King (above via Living Walls) was selected by local representatives to paint the mural, which will be located behind the shuttle pick-up and drop-off area. In addition to the mural, PCIDs has worked with MARTA to install upgraded lighting and decals throughout the station.
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*Sponsor Message* 🇺🇸 Dunwoody's 4th of July Parade is Georgia's largest! This year's parade is on Monday, July 5 and it will celebrate frontline workers. Presented by Dunwoody Homeowners Association and Reporter Newspapers. Thanks to our Gold Sponsors: EEP Events, City of Dunwoody, Discover Dunwoody and NFA Burger! 🇺🇸
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5. Look & Listen: Atlanta stories
🎧 Earlier this week, Psycho Disco! label owner, EDM producer, and DJ Treasurefingers (above) stopped by Future Disco Radio to spin a 30-minute guest mix of feel-good funk and house music.
📖 Stacey Abrams will join Cari Champion in a Zoom webinar on Tues., June 22, celebrating the paperback launch of her new book, Our Time Is Now.
📜 In commemoration of Juneteenth, Flux Projects presents Remembrance as Resistance: Preserving Black Narratives, a project by artist/activist Charmaine Minniefield that honors the unmarked graves in Oakland Cemetery’s historic African American Burial Grounds.
📜 WABE’s Lois Reitzes talks with Amanda Plumb (above), author of Unique Eats and Eateries of Atlanta—one of a series of city-specific volumes that explore restaurants across the U.S. Listen here.
🎸 Episode 5 of Pietro DiGennaro rock 'n roll variety show "Now Dig This" premiered over the weekend, featuring performances by Ian Cole, the Serpenteens, NRCSSST, and Jordan Jones.
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