🏈 Norcross Blue Devils football
Friday, Sept. 18 — Hey, it’s Hayden with my weekly Norcross newsletter.
After this weekend, we should not see 90-degree temperatures until next May. That means I can walk around metro Atlanta just sweating mildly, which is an improvement.
While fall weather still eludes us, football season is in full effect with college and NFL teams battling it out on the weekends. As a University of Georgia and Atlanta Falcons fan, I’ve grown accustomed to celebratory Saturdays and somber Sundays. While UGA is ranked second in the country with a shot at the CFP National Championship, the Falcons don’t have a starting quarterback named for this Sunday’s game.
Obviously, I want North Georgia native Gunner Stockton drafted by the Falcons next year. Maybe he gets a Heisman Trophy on his way out of Athens this year.
⬇️ Quick roundup of things to know:
🏈 The Norcross High School varsity football team easily took care of North Atlanta, my alma mater, last Friday at Henderson Stadium in Midtown. The Blue Devils beat the Warriors 28-10, taking a 2-1 record into tonight’s home game against North Forsyth.
📸 Norcross Gallery & Studios is hosting its 4th Annual Photo Competition, and the theme is “Celebrate the Good Times” in honor of the gallery’s 20th anniversary. Submissions are due Sept. 30.
☕ September’s Coffee with Council is at 8 a.m. tomorrow at 45 South Cafe. The informal gatherings precede the Norcross City Council’s policy work session on Monday.
🎺 Jazz in the Alley concludes its show run at Thrasher Park in Norcross with violinist Brooke Alford from 7:30-9:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19. Park Drive from North Peachtree to Thrasher Street will be closed on Saturday from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Have a great weekend,
🖖 Hayden
🧺 Join us at Oakland Cemetery to celebrate Historic Oakland Foundation’s 50th anniversary at the Golden Jubilee Picnic on Thurs., Sept. 24 at 6 p.m. Reserve your table for a once-in-a-lifetime evening at Oakland after dark. SPONSOR MESSAGE
CBS prepares to hire 40 more staff for new Chamblee studio
📣 CBS News Atlanta Vice President and News Director Shawn Hoder said his team is focused on hyperlocal community stories and honest reporting, which the Sept. 9 crowd in downtown Norcross seemed to appreciate.
In August 2025, CBS took over its Atlanta-affiliated station, moving it to WUPA (Channel 69) from Gray Media’s Atlanta News First (Channel 46). After launching CBS Atlanta last fall and hiring more than 100 people, Hoder said the team is still “not full bore yet.”
Hoder said the newsroom and behind-the-scenes team are prepared to hire another 40 employees once construction of CBS Atlanta’s new Chamblee studio is complete, sometime in November. The completion of the 11,000-square-foot studio, with augmented and virtual reality, will expand the cramped studio into a two-building campus.
📺 Read more about CBS Atlanta and its plans here.
What’s it Worth?
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🐓 Originally built in 1900 and tucked completely out of view from the street, this historic Sandy Springs farmhouse features four bedrooms, a renovated kitchen, and a pool. The property also has a chicken coop, a vegetable garden, mature fruit trees, and an operational well.
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Norcross seeks community input on roadway safety plan
🚧 Norcross is gearing up for public feedback on a comprehensive Safety Action Plan, funded by a federal grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets for All (SS4A) program.
The city invites residents, businesses and everyone who lives, works or spends time in the city to attend a first-ever public meeting for its Safety Action Plan on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 6 to 8 p.m. at the Norcross Community Center at 10 College Street.
🚴 Read about the federally funded program and local survey here.
🧺 Join us at Oakland Cemetery to celebrate Historic Oakland Foundation’s 50th anniversary at the Golden Jubilee Picnic on Thurs., Sept. 24 at 6 p.m.Reserve your table for a once-in-a-lifetime evening at Oakland after dark.
SPONSOR MESSAGE
Sandy Springs mayor echoes concerns from Norcross leaders about legislature’s property tax cuts
💵 Officials in Norcross, Sandy Springs, and cities across Georgia are warning that the state legislature’s plan to phase out homestead property taxes would strip away the revenue that pays for police, parks, and paving.
At the Sept. 15 Sandy Springs State of the City, Mayor Rusty Paul said the Georgia General Assembly “doing away with” taxes on primary residences would cut a third of the city’s revenue, essentially “defunding” public safety departments.
“There is one threat on the horizon that I want to talk about … it’s a tough subject because it sounds so attractive,” Paul said. “You’ve got to understand what the ramifications are … I’m all in favor of doing away with homestead property taxes as long as the legislature will allow us to have alternative forms of revenue.”
🏡 Read why these city leaders are concerned.
Norcross commission asks for help naming White Squirrel statues
🐿️ The Norcross Public Arts Commission is gearing up for phase two of the White Squirrels of Norcross, a community art installation featuring a series of small, white squirrel sculptures that create a fun, guided art hunt throughout the city.
Following the successful launch of five White Squirrels in May, NPAC is nearly ready to introduce six new statues throughout Norcross, including the Women’s Library, Johnson Dean Forest Preserve, Lionheart Theatre, the South End area, and Veterans Memorial Park.
✍️ Access the survey and learn more about white squirrels here.
