Keep your eyes peeled
AUG. 6 — It’s Cathy from Rough Draft with my weekly newsletter on Dunwoody. Just when you think Dunwoody couldn’t be stranger, enter rogue pig.
🥳 Today’s newsy edition includes information about an adult play day in the heart of the Perimeter, a tale of a teacher’s tragedy when she tried to support a good cause, information about the Dunwoody Nature Center’s upcoming butterfly event, and a laundry list of upcoming events. Also the pig thing.
📌 It’s Wednesday, people. Push through,
Cathy
PCID’s Playfully Perimeter debuts first event
🎾 On Aug. 27, a new program called “Playfully Perimeter” will launch an immersive event to showcase the districts’ amenities to professionals, residents and visitors to the area.
In collaboration with Explore Brookhaven, Discover Dunwoody, and Visit Sandy Springs, the Playfully Perimeter series “aims to expand awareness of Perimeter and highlight its continuous growth and new developments,” according to a release about the initiative.
Perimeter Community Improvement Districts Executive Director Ann Hanlon told Rough Draft the initiative is an extension of the group’s efforts since 1999 to keep property values high and showcase that the area is “safe, clean and vibrant.”
“We’ve been hyper-focused on infrastructure and traffic improvements, but now we are looking to grow and expand our horizons,” Hanlon said. “COVID has changed the office landscape, and people are looking for the whole experience. We are deliberately investing in building our community.”
In a blink of an eye. . .
🇺🇸 Although this is not Dunwoody-specific, this is an important story that speaks to the upheaval that can befall someone with good intentions.
Sarah Fuoto’s trip to the Embry Village Plaza Kroger on June 14 and her last-minute decision to support a group of No Kings protesters has changed her life and threatened her career, but not her spirit.
Fuoto, 53, a special education paraprofessional who has worked for nine years in the DeKalb County School District, had just earned her master’s degree and was applying for a position as a special education teacher within the system, a job that would have seen her salary elevated by $30,000 annually.
Her desire to support young people trying to make a difference has now derailed Fuoto’s career. On her way to Kroger in the late afternoon, she observed a group of people, most in their 20s, participating in a No Kings demonstration, holding signs along Chamblee-Tucker Road. She decided to join them before heading into the store.
⚖️ What happened after that involves chaos, injuries, arrest, and the derailing of her teaching career. Read the whole saga here.
Final weeks: Data meets art at the High Museum!
SPONSORED BY THE HIGH MUSEUM
✨ Don’t miss your chance to immerse yourself in the data-verse! Get ready for a mind-bending experience – Ryoji Ikeda’s captivating light and sound installations are a must-see.
➞ On view through August 10.
Butterfly Festival
🦋 Dunwoody Nature Center will host its annual Butterfly Weekend celebration from Friday, Sept. 5 through Sunday, Sept. 7 at Wildcat Park, 5435 Roberts Dr.
The weekend features two signature experiences: the adults-only Butterflies & Brews evening event and the family-friendly Butterfly Experience festival, both supporting the organization’s mission to inspire environmental education and conservation throughout metro Atlanta, according to a release from the organization.
This year marks a significant milestone as the event temporarily moves to Wildcat Park during construction of the Wildcat Creek Learning Lab, an education center that will expand access to environmental learning across the region.
🐛 Read more about the weekend and how to buy tickets.
Why did the pig cross the road?
🐽 This is not a scam – first goats, now pigs are wandering the city streets, at least for a hot minute. The Dunwoody police on Aug. 5 responded to a call reporting a pig in the roadway, and observed the Sus scrofa domesticus escort himself home. However, it is unknown whether he went “wee wee wee” en route.
The police did report that the rogue pig “is safely in a blanket.” Not my words, but definitely a pun worth repeating.
Speaking of scams, however, there is one going down in the city, with residents and businesses receiving a series of fraudulent emails regarding planning-related applications filed with the city, including zoning and variance cases and special administrative permits.
Officials say the emails request payment by electronic wire transfer, which is never done when conducting city business. If you receive a suspicious email or have questions, call the city at 678-382-6808.
If you want the real scoop on how the city’s planning department works, visit the website.
🙁 P.S. Also good to note, the word Planning is spelled “Planinng” in the email. Another ding on the quality of our education system.
Mark your calendars
🟠 Don’t forget to buy tickets to Stage Door Theatre’s upcoming production of “Orange,” running from Aug. 9-24. According to Stage Door, you can take “a journey across the suburbs of Southern California with Leela, a girl who can’t be left alone but who no one seems to want around.” I’ll be there for opening night. Join me in supporting local theater.
👮🏽Dunwoody’s next Citizens’ Police Academy is gearing up for action, starting Aug. 12 and meeting every Tuesday night until Nov. 4. Sign up for the class here.
🙁 Dunwoody is still mourning the death of police detective Jeremy Laverty, who leaves behind a wife and four small children. The Go Fund Me is halfway to its goal of $75,000. Donate to help the family here.
🎸 Dunwoody’s next Groovin’ on the Green concert at Brook Run Park is Aug. 9, featuring DieDre Hurdle-Ruff and G Clef & The Playlist (pictured above). The bands’ names alone are worth stopping by. Here’s a sample of G Clef’s music.
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