Friday files
May 17 — Despite opposition from some students and faculty, President Joe Biden will give the Morehouse College commencement address on Sunday and receive an honorary doctorate.
☔️ Rain and 74° today. Saturday also has rain in the forecast, but Sunday is looking partly cloudy with temps back in the low 80s.
🗳️ Today is the last day of early voting in the May 21 primary election. Find your voting location here and read about the candidates on this page.
📖 A classroom assignment about Adolf Hitler and World War II that caused controversy in the community has been removed by the Mount Vernon School.
🌳 The City of Sandy Springs is allocating $21.4 million in next year’s budget for repaving projects and a new park.
🚨 A man who turned himself in at Sandy Springs Police headquarters has been charged in connection with the death of his girlfriend.
🔎 Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch said city officials will look at the budget during the next few years to avoid a potential shortfall in revenue in 2027.
💸 The City of Brookhaven will increase stormwater and streetlight fees to cover rising operations and maintenance costs.
🏗️ The Woodruff Arts Center presented facade modifications to the Midtown Development Review Committee as part of its ongoing renovation plans.
🍹 The group behind Ladybird and Muchacho will open the beachy cocktail bar Strangers in Paradise on May 17 on the BeltLine’s Westside Trail.
🎟️ Tickets go on sale today for rock band CAKE, which will perform Sept. 28 at Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark.
ELSEWHERE
⚖️ Today is the 70th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that ended school segregation. In Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, the Court overturned the “separate but equal” doctrine established in 1896.
💨 The Justice Department on Thursday formally moved to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, a historic shift in U.S. drug policy.
🎰 The Mirage, an iconic hotel on the Las Vegas Strip, has announced it will close in July.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• VaHi Porchfest
• Film Review: ‘IF’
• The Sports Section
AND
• Top Stories of the Week
Have a good weekend,
Collin & Sammie
💡 Interested in having your child or teen take their Spanish to the next level over the summer? Register for a free, trial Spanish class with Atlanta Spanish Immersion. Sign up for a package before May 31, and receive two complimentary hours. Aprende más.
SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Strumming up excitement: Virginia Highland Porchfest is back on May 18
🎸 In the heart of Atlanta’s intown Virginia Highland neighborhood, Porchfest returns for its fourth year. On Sat., May 18, John Howell Park and the surrounding streets will be flooded with residents and visitors of all ages who will be brought together by a common love for local, live music.
Despite only starting in 2021, Porchfest has already become a cherished tradition among Atlanta residents. Community members rave about the event and the energy and buzz it has brought to Virginia Highland. Resident Steve Fazenbaker expresses gratitude for Porchfest’s role in fostering a sense of community and belonging in Virginia Highland.
“Porchfest is such a happy day,” Fazenbaker said. “There are so many happy people, and it’s just such a great vibe for our street and our neighborhood.”
🎵 Read more about this year’s Porchfest here.
NEARBY
🌻 The Kirkwood Spring Fling is tomorrow from 12-8 p.m. at Bessie Branham Park.
Navigating dog parenthood
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2. ‘IF’ buckles under the weight of its imaginative aspirations
WEEKLY FILM REVIEW | BY SAMMIE PURCELL
🐝 The best kind of children’s entertainment is the kind that appeals to adults, too.
Or so I’ve been told. I don’t have kids, but my friends who are parents say the best things they watch with their children make a concerted effort to offer something for the older crowd. For years, Pixar has been the leading expert on this kind of thing. Those movies can make kids laugh while sneaking in a joke or two for their parents as well. They can be poignant and intelligent without talking down to their intended audience. But most of all, they carry a sense of wonder that children have and adults long to get back.
This revelation about Pixar is nothing new, but it’s something I kept coming back to watching John Krasinski’s new film “IF.” And considering the film has been described as a “live-action Pixar film,” I don’t think it’s unfair of me to judge “IF” by that standard. Krasinski, to his credit, appears to be very earnest in his championing of the film as something he made for his own children, a way to sort of bridge that generational gap by encouraging adults to embrace the parts of themselves they left behind when they grew up. But if “IF” is about the wonders of childlike imagination, it lacks the imaginative spark that necessitates.
🐻 Read Sammie’s full review here.
🍿 Stay in the picture with Scene by Rough Draft, our weekly newsletter about Georgia’s film industry. Subscribe for free.
3. Dream / Fever moves to larger venue; Falcons schedule released
🏇 Mystik Dan is a 5:2 favorite to win The Preakness Stakes, the second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown. Post time for tomorrow’s 1 3/16-mile race is 7:01 p.m. (TV: NBC)
⚾ The Braves, who trail the Phillies by three games, host the Padres for a weekend series beginning tonight at 7:20 p.m. (TV: BSS, Radio: 93.7)
🏐 The Atlanta Vibe’s first season ended Wednesday night as the Grand Rapids Rise upset them in five sets in the Pro Volleyball Federation’s semifinals. Grand Rapids and Omaha will play for the title on Sat., May 18 at 4:30 p.m. (TV: CBS Sports Network).
🏆 The Vibe’s Leah Edmond was named League MVP.
🏒 In the Professional Women’s Hockey League debut season, Boston swept Montreal to become the first team to reach the PWHL’s Walter Cup final. Toronto and Minnesota play for the other spot in the final tonight at 7 p.m.
🏀 The Atlanta Dream opened their season on Wednesday with a 92-81 win over the Los Angeles Sparks led by Rhyne Howard with 25 points. The Dream plays the Phoenix Mercury tomorrow at 10 p.m. (TV: Fubo).
🎟️ To accommodate the massive demand to see Caitlin Clark play, the Dream announced they will play their June 21 and Aug. 26 games against the Indiana Fever at State Farm Arena.
⚽ Atlanta United, winless in their last seven MLS matches, will try to get back on track tomorrow at 1:45 p.m. against also-struggling Nashville FC, who just fired their only coach in team history (Apple TV).
🏈 TheFalcons released their schedule in a video with influencer Drew Walls. Atlanta opens the season at home on Sept. 8 against the Steelers.
🧥 Do you have a sentimental fur, stole, jacket, or coat hanging in your closet, collecting dust and not being worn? Let Restyle Your Fur perform an unforgettable “trans-fur-mation” at Potpourri in Sandy Springs on Tues. May 21 and Wed. May 22 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. during our recycle fur and mink restyling event. Learn more here.
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4. Top Stories of the Week
A look back at this week’s most-read stories from our website.
① NPU-F votes against Portman’s Amsterdam Walk redevelopment
② Trader Joe’s to open new Sandy Springs south location
(pictured)
③ Uber driver charged with rape, burglary in Sandy Springs
④ Buckhead nightclub shooting leaves two dead, four wounded
⑤ Delbar chef Fares Kargar to open Eden at Star Metals
💭 Test your knowledge of the week’s news in tomorrow’s News Quiz. Keep an eye out for our email at 8 a.m. or bookmark this page!
📧 Today’s newsletter was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.
