Drive-thru dates?
Feb. 11 — It’s Cathy from Rough Draft with my weekly newsletter on Dunwoody. Valentine’s Day, America’s favorite made-up holiday, is fast approaching, and, as usual, our email boxes at Rough Draft are littered with ideas about how to make the day special – except this one from MarketBeat, with its opening line, “Roses are red, violets are blue, inflation is high… so it’s nuggets for two?” It explains that couples are embracing fast food meals as an acceptable date-night choice on Feb. 14.
The number one option, Chick-fil-A, “appeals to couples who want to play it safe without feeling cheap. It’s familiar, polite, and quietly dependable – the kind of place that signals, ‘I tried,’ even if the setting is casual.” The email later shares that when women were asked how they would react if their date suggested splitting the bill at a fast-food joint, 74 percent said they “would be fine with it.”
We all know what women’s “fine” really means. I dare anyone to try this – and on Feb. 15, please share your breakup story.
💔 Let’s get to the news. Thanks for reading,
Cathy
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Spruill stretches into Chamblee
👩🏿🎨 The Spruill Center for the Arts announced on Feb. 9 its plans to open Spruill Studios, a new studio facility in the former Chamblee City Hall, focused on providing affordable creative space for artists in metro Atlanta.
“With so much upheaval in funding and an increasingly challenging environment for artists, we’re fortunate to be able to offer this subsidized creative space, especially for artists in the north metro area who hadn’t previously had an opportunity to participate in this type of local hub,” Spruill CEO Alan Mothner told Rough Draft.
Set to open in June, Spruill Studios will be housed in the former city hall building at 5468 Peachtree Road in the heart of downtown Chamblee. According to a release from Spruill, renovations are set to begin in March. Spruill officials will start accepting applications from artists interested in studio spots on March 9.
🚐 Read more about the plans here.
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Immersive galleries, incredible specimens and interactive experiences bring history back to life in this limited-time exhibit, on view until May 3.
A 90-day vape-cation for new permits
🚬 The Dunwoody City Council at its Feb. 9 meeting voted 6-1 to approve a 90-day moratorium on approving any business-related applications related to vape shops within the city.
The halt applies to new retail applications, but not to so-called smoking establishments, such as the existing Habibis Lounge on Winters Chapel Road. It also would not affect existing businesses, including service stations, that sell vape-related products.
A staff memo accompanying the moratorium request said time is needed for the city to examine “potential impacts and externalities, and/or best practice regulations,” so it can adopt ordinances that protect the public health, safety, and welfare of its citizens, which could involve requiring minimum distance requirements, “heightened scrutiny through the Special Land Use Permit process, and exclusion of uses in specific zoning districts.”
🔥 The council also discussed paving, yard waste bans, and welcomed another police officer to the force. Here is the story.
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‘Angels and demons’
🐾 Stylist Doug Nitcher’s white schnauzer named Archer was more than a pleasant distraction at Balance Salon and Boutique in Park Place – he was a member of the team. One-year-old Archer has been a regular presence at the salon since he was eight weeks old. He was Nitcher’s constant companion, accompanying him to work and on hikes when he wasn’t charming customers at the salon.
After Archer slipped out the salon’s door on Jan. 28, while customers were entering and exiting the business, Nitcher is getting a front-row seat to the juxtaposition of good and evil as he tries to find his beloved pet.
“I feel like it’s an exercise of angels and demons,” he said of the aftermath of Archer’s disappearance. “So many people are helping to find the dog, but at the same time, the number of scam calls I am getting is shaking me to the core.”
🦴 Here is the story of Nitcher’s emotional roller coaster as he experiences the best and worst in humanity.
Picture this: Pedro for president
💰The Goodchild-Fortenberry-Bass Scholarship was recently presented to Pedro Soriano, a senior at Dunwoody High School. The $2,500 annual award, established by Dr. David Goodchild in 2022, is given to a senior at Dunwoody High School who has overcome personal challenges.
“Tom, Steve, and I take great care in making these selections. Each year has been very special, and I cannot imagine a more worthy recipient than Pedro Soriano,” Goodchild said. “He was selected for the light he shines throughout DHS, embracing a positive outlook on life and showing kindness toward teachers and fellow students.”
Sorian was called “quite possibly the kindest and most positive student in the school,” by his teacher Wendy Puckett.
👨🏼🏫 Here’s more information about the scholarship in Audra Anders’ Aha connection from a few years back.