Breaking bread
Friday, June 5 — Rough Draft is partnering with DNNR to kick off a dinner club at various venues around Atlanta, including a gathering in Sandy Springs. Participants will join a small group of like-minded people for good food and conversation while supporting local journalism. Get all the details here.
☀️ It looks like we have a beautiful weekend on tap with temperatures in the 80s and low humidity, so get out there and enjoy it.
🚴🏻 Sandy Springs Police held a community meeting to clarify rules for riding e-bikes in the city, as reported by Fox 5.
🗳️ The Atlanta Press Club Loudermilk-Young Debate Series hosted a runoff debate for Fulton County commission chair with incumbent Robb Pitts facing off against Fulton County commissioner Mo Ivory. Early voting for the runoff elections runs Saturday, June 6 through Friday, June 12, and Election Day is Tuesday, June 16.
📋 The City of Sandy Springs is accepting applications for the 2026-2027 Citizens’ Leadership Academy, an intensive course in local civics and an introduction to how the community functions. Participants will learn from the mayor, council members, and city staff. Get more information and apply here.
📷 Wolf Camera is opening a new store near Rumi’s Kitchen on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs on Friday, June 5.
🍷 Taste Wine Bar & Market is opening on Saturday, June 27 near City Springs.
🥳 Congratulations to High Point Elementary School for receiving a score of 91.9 — the highest score in the school’s history — in the state’s College and Career Ready Performance Index. Criteria used to determine the score include third- and fifth-grade reading proficiency and student absenteeism.
SANDY SPRINGS SNAPSHOT:It was a beautiful evening for Sandy Springs’ Food That Rocks on Thursday, June 4.The event sold out with hundreds of people in attendance.
🐈🐩🐟🐖 Send us pictures with your pets! The July issue of Rough Draft in print will feature pictures of readers with their furry (or not furry) friends. Send images 1MB or higher to pets@roughdraftatlanta.com by next Friday, June 12. Make sure you include your name, your pet’s name, and your neighborhood.
Thanks for reading!
The Rough Draft team
💙 Honor Dad while making a difference at run4DAD. Choose a 5K, 1-mile walk, or kids’ race and support prostate cancer awareness. Bring the whole family for a meaningful, active morning. Join us on Sun., June 21. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Sandy Springs’ officials consider options to accelerate construction of sidewalks and paths
🚶🏽♂️ Sandy Springs council members are looking for ways to increase walkability and connectivity by accelerating path, sidewalk, and trail projects. During their June 2 meeting, officials pitched options the city can use to accelerate the construction through right-of-way coordination, neighborhood consensus, and staffing.
Since 2014, Sandy Springs has spent more than $54 million on building sidewalks, paths, and trails. Available funding increased after 2016 with the passage of the first countywide referendum, which supports transportation improvements through a 0.75% sales tax.
Fulton County voters renewed TSPLOST in 2021, and it is on the ballot again for extension in November.
📍 Learn more about the City Council’s acceleration plans.
Discover Sandy Springs, Dunwoody & Brookhaven Through Perimeter Pursuit
SPONSORED BY PERIMETER COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS
🚲 From hidden gems to favorite local destinations, Perimeter Pursuit turns exploring your community into a game. Through June 30, participants can complete missions across Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, and Brookhaven while earning points for prizes and exclusive offers from local businesses like Foxtail Coffee.
🏆 Rewards include gift cards, Braves tickets, dining experiences, hotel stays, and more.
➡️ Learn more and join the challenge today!
Central Perimeter Juneteenth: A Growing Tradition
💚 Sandy Springs council member Melody Kelley, Ph.D., is on the ground in the Central Perimeter community, whether she’s teaching at Georgia State University’s Dunwoody campus or serving her constituents.
“What I recognized is, especially north of Atlanta, Juneteenth is fairly new … I mean it didn’t even become a national holiday until 2021,” Kelley said. “We’re still in a phase where local governments are figuring out how to handle it in their own communities, and so I wanted to take some of that weight off of the other cities. Let’s come together.”
Four years ago, Kelley and a group of Sandy Springs residents held a small gathering on the City Green. The next year, it was an optional holiday for city staff. In 2024, the city sponsored its first official Juneteenth Celebration at City Springs.
“Many things that appear grand start off very granular,” she said. “If we’re going to build this tradition, it needs to be built from the ground up, and not the top down.”
🎉 Read more about Sandy Springs’ Juneteenth celebration.
Connecting local businesses and residents to volunteer opportunities
🫶🏼 The Sandy Springs Civic Roundtable is introducing a new community initiative that will make it easier for residents, businesses, and community groups to connect with volunteer opportunities across the city.
Volunteer Sandy Springs is a collaboration between the civic roundtable, the city, and Georgia Tech public policy students. With research showing that a resource mapping website is a viable tool for community engagement, city and community leaders hope to support local nonprofits.
Volunteer Sandy Springs brings together 40 local nonprofits with residents, civic organizations, and corporate and community partners in one easy-to-use central hub for service.
💙 Honor Dad while making a difference at run4DAD. Choose a 5K, 1-mile walk, or kids’ race and support prostate cancer awareness. Bring the whole family for a meaningful, active morning. Join us on Sun., June 21. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Congratulations to Sandy Springs’ Class of ’26 valedictorians and salutatorians
🎓Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School
(V) Gavin Mark Miles
(S) Thomas Douglas “Nick” McKay III
🎓 Mount Vernon Presbyterian School
(V) Cameron Bogdanchik
(S) Christian D. Foste
🎓 North Springs High School
(V) Peyton Frank
(S) Grace Lumpkins
🎓 Riverwood International Charter School
(V) Alexander Royal
(S) Mylie Henssge
🎓 The Weber School
(V) Scott Silverman
(S) Adrianna Castiglione
🗞️ You’ll find more top graduates from the Atlanta area in the latest issue of Rough Draft in print.
What’s doin’ around Sandy Springs
🛶 June 6:Intro to river kayaking class at Morgan Falls
💜 June 6:Purple Party Music Sing Along! at Painting with a Twist
🎤 June 7:Canyonland featuring Michelle Malone at Concerts by the Springs
🤝 June 10:Brewing Up Contacts Young Professional Networking at Just Love Coffee
🧘🏼♀️ Sign up for Rough Draft’s newest weekly newsletter, The Reset, focusing on health and wellness.
