Peachtree Corners resident Lee Williams never expected to be in the furniture business; and he isn’t ...exactly. As a co-director and board member for the ministry Movers & Shakers, Williams plays an integral part in serving our community by helping provide furniture for families in need. About 10 years ago, a group of members at a local church identified a need and a solution in the area of furniture. There were always people offering to donate furniture that they no longer needed and there were always people in need of this furniture and asking the church for help. If these two groups could…
As a mother, encouraging my children to move toward goals such as high school graduation meant that they would inevitably move away from our home. I knew that what I needed to help me through the transition was an exit strategy. A strategy for my life after their exit. The summer before my youngest child’s senior year in high school I asked myself, “What’s your name and what do you really do?” I knew my name (that was a relief) but wasn’t sure about the rest of the answer. To figure that out I then asked, “What do you enjoy doing?” I came up with a number of things that I enjoy but the …
Here in Peachtree Corners folks have been dining at Los Arcos since it opened in 1995. Whenever you went in, the restaurant was busy and it was hard not to run into someone you knew. But then all of a sudden, it was gone. But it hasn’t gone very far away at all. Just down Spalding Drive at the corner of Spalding and Medlock Bridge you’ll find the former Los Arcos with a new name and a smaller, more intimate space. The new restaurant, Kikos Tacos and More, is still owned and run by Kiko Alanis and his wife Olga. They welcome this fresh start in a new space and hope that their familiar …
As I walked through the door, I heard the friendly greeting that so many quick serve restaurants give. In this case it was, “Welcome to CiCi’s.” And I was welcomed by co-owner John Kling, to learn more about CiCi’s in Peachtree Corners and to eat some freshly baked pizza. Six years ago, while managing our local CiCi’s, Kling met a then Cici’s customer, Martin Drucker. The two of them liked the CiCi’s model and when the Roswell CiCi’s closed four years ago they decided to buy, refurbish and get it back on its feet. That’s exactly what they did recently with our very own CiCi’s (located in the…
Most of us here in Peachtree Corners lead busy lives. With so many tasks to complete it’s hard to see beyond those commitments. How refreshing it is to find someone who not only takes care of herself but works hard to meet the needs of others. Wendy Willis is one of those people who seeks opportunities to serve others in our community. As a child she says her parents instilled in her, “the importance of using my gifts and talents to give back to the community.” Growing up in Germantown, TN when it was a fledgling community, Willis watched both of her parents become deeply involved in …
Work, work, work. It’s so easy to get caught up in the daily tasks that engage and entangle us. But every once in a while I like to relax and take a little time for myself. I recently decided to engage in such behavior by pampering myself with a pedicure. I walk into the nail salon and am faced with many smiling faces. Beyond those are photos of lovely polished nails, a glistening chandelier and a row of luxuriously appointed seating. Each seat looks like it could be featured in a James Bond movie. I have definitely come to the right place. As Wanda, my Asian nail technician, escorts me to …
Raised in Knoxville, TN, Bill Walker spent eight years in the U.S. Army Reserve and then enjoyed a long career with United States Gypsum Co. in various marketing and sales management positions. But now that he’s retired Walker seems busier than ever. Walker has many hobbies that he enjoys: fly fishing, photography, playing guitar and writing music. Lately, he’s added a new passion to his list and this time it’s one that we can enjoy with him. That is his venture into writing. Bill Walker, pen name Alex Walker, is the proud author of a new action/adventure book called Toltec, published by …
As we celebrate our new city’s birth, we feel the great joy of a new beginning, but along with that we’re also experiencing a few birthing pains. The main pain seems to be the budget. Hopefully, the controversy surrounding this will be resolved quickly and we can move into peaceful cityhood. Who knows, Peachtree Corners might need a 24/7 hotline. Without it who do we call at 1:30 in the morning to tell that our pansies are, as we speak, being eaten by a rogue band of deer? “I’ll get right on that sir. Be right over to shoo them away,” replies the sleep deprived 24/7 operator. As for a well …
Driving down the street the other day and saw I saw one of my favorite things, a garage sale sign. I turned down the street in hopes of finding my next big bargain. Two streets down I saw a tiny sign listing a street name and address. If I’d been going three miles per hour and had a pair of binoculars I might have been able to read it. Even if I had been able to read the sign, was I at the right street or should I keep on going and how do I know which way to turn for house number 3257? So many questions, so little time. Below you’ll find a few tips for guiding potential customers to your …
Walk right in, sit right down and you can be sure that you will soon be eating some really good barbecue. At Dreamland on any day during lunchtime you will find people in business attire and folks in jeans and T-shirts (maybe a better clothing option just in case you get crazy with the sauce), all there for the express purpose of enjoying some barbecue. In 1958 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, two men with big nicknames started some big things. Paul “Bear” Bryant began coaching at the University of Alabama and John “Big Daddy” Bishop built and opened his restaurant, the Dreamland Cafe. Some things at…
Matt Johns has great sympathy for people who are experiencing challenges. He comes by that honestly since he spent 14 years as a teenager and young adult in a personal struggle with drug and alcohol abuse. During that time he knew that there had to be something more and better to life, which he ultimately found through his faith in God. Johns early life experiences have given him a great desire to serve others and help them learn that there is hope to live a full and productive life. He’s making his desire to serve a reality with after school programs in some of the apartment complexes in …
I have finally discovered, to my relief, that I am not obsessive compulsive. What I am is only obsessive and I’ve figured out why. It’s too much trouble to be both. It takes too much energy to be compulsive so I have to focus all my attention on being obsessive. I am currently spending some time in a beautiful condo in South Florida. Not only is the surrounding area lovely but so are the furnishings in our rented residence. My goal is to have them remain lovely throughout our visit. The thing that I find most concerning is the dark wood dining table which has over it a pretty, but somewhat …
Six and a half years ago Jack Lane sold his business and settled into retirement. But six months later his doctor recommended that he become more active. Soon thereafter he walked into the office of the Norcross Cooperative Ministry, where he hoped to help out, and asked “How can I get some exercise here?” They provided him with not only exercise, but an opportunity to serve many people in our community and he’s been working with them ever since. The Norcross Co-op Ministry is a not for profit organization funded primarily by 22 churches. As stated on its wedsite it’s an “Ecumenical ministry…
In 1938 Thornton Wilder wrote the now iconic American play Our Town. Set around 1901-1910, this play sends the simple message to stop and smell the roses. It’s interesting that even before televisions and computers, Wilder felt a need for us to slow down. Director Steve Broyles commented that, “After the Industrial Revolution, over 110 years ago, things were speeding up. Playwright Wilder was concerned that our lives were becoming too complex and we were missing the simple and important things.” Consequently, Broyles is very glad for his high school students to be considering this message as …
Step into Ted’s at the Forum and you’ll be stepping into the atmosphere of the West. With study and planning, the designers of the Ted’s restaurants have taken pains to present a Western theme both in the interior design as well as on the menu. From the tin ceilings and mahogany floors to the rich paneling and the Western prints (replicas of paintings owned by Ted Turner) you feel like you’re dining in a restaurant that you might find in Montana. The menu carries on the Western theme with bison, salmon and trout among the most popular items. Proprietor Jeff Hormel, explained to me that bison …
Starting Wednesday, on April 25-29, the cowardly lion, tin man, scarecrow and of course Dorothy and assorted witches, munchkins and monkeys, will all be gathered to entertain us with the delightful family musical The Wizard of Oz. The Norcross Players will be doing the RCS version of the play which is much like the film. We are all familiar with this classic children’s story brought to our attention most famously by the 1939 film version of the musical The Wizard of Oz. Both the 1939 movie and the stage play first produced in 1902 are based on the children’s novel written by L. Frank Baum …
The wonderful joys of a wedding day and the tremendous pain and loss of experiencing the death of a loved one are seemingly opposite ends of a spectrum. To Suzanne Nelson and Jan Anderson, helping families walk through these times is their job description which they take seriously and do with great love and compassion. These two Peachtree Corners residents are members and employees of a large local church where their job is being in charge of all of the weddings and funerals that take place within those walls. Consequently, for short periods of time these two are intimately involved with …
Most restaurants come to you with food answers, but Which Wich answers with questions. “Which Wich do you want? Are you on the road to Wiches?” (the Which Wich loyalty program.) and “Wich way should you go?” Store owner Gary Birnberg says Which Wich is all about customization. They want their customers to have a positive experience and the first and best way is to let them design a sandwich exactly the way they like it. Which Wich founder Jeff Sinelli of Dallas, Texas had the dream for some time of a new and better sandwich shop where customers could pick from the freshest ingredients and …
There are so many compelling reasons to play tennis; the benefits of exercise, participation in a sport, spending time with friends and enjoying the great outdoors. But as everyone knows, deep down inside, the real reason we play is to win. We want to be the victor of the day. When your match is over you come off the courts and everyone says, “That was fun.” Exactly what does that mean? Is it, “That was fun” as in, I played great and am (trumpets sounding in the background) champion of the world!, or “That was fun” as in, my next favorite thing to do is getting run over by a Mack truck? …
On February 23-25 the Wolf Players at Wesleyan High School presented a fun to watch performance of Rogers and Hammerstein’s musical, Oklahoma. Based on the 1931 book Green Grow the Lilacs by Lynn Riggs, this musical first hit the Broadway stage in 1943. Being somewhat ‘ancient of days’ in the musical theatre realm, director Steve Broyles commented that “Many of the students were unfamiliar with Oklahoma.” But as they got to know this well loved musical they embraced it wholeheartedly and this was evident in their enthusiastic performance. Broyles commented that the students really enjoyed…
