🙋🏽‍♂️ So much election news

The knives are out

May. 10 — It’s Cathy from Rough Draft with my weekly newsletter on Tucker. From the amount of emails I’m receiving about a certain topic, it’s getting real over here. That’s all I can say, other than to remind people that even reporters have feelings.

This edition includes a surprise twist in the pickleball saga, another candidate announcing her intention to run for reelection, a brief recount of a soggy-yet-successful Tucker Day, and some upcoming events you don’t want to miss. 

Have a great weekend and strap in for Monday,
Cathy

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Acceleration Academies opens in Tucker

 Tucker is now home to a high school geared towards students in need of a nontraditional pathway toward graduation.

DeKalb County Acceleration Academies opened on Lakeside Parkway in late September. The school was previously housed on a temporary basis at McNair High School in Atlanta. Expected to serve as many as 300 students, Acceleration will support students who benefit from a more flexible, personalized format than a traditional high school, according to Sarah Campbell, vice president of enrollment marketing. 

“A key part of this strategic partnership is ensuring that students don’t fall through the cracks,” Campbell told Rough Draft Atlanta. “Our primary goal is to ensure every student has the opportunity to earn their high school diploma, no matter what challenges they’ve faced. Staff are focused on building strong, supportive relationships, providing flexible scheduling, and meeting each student where they are academically and personally.”

  Read more about the program here. 

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Pickleball pause … or not

 A resounding sigh of relief (for the most part) was heard as residents reviewed the details on the Pickleball Sound Mitigation Study at Tucker City Hall Monday, Sept. 29 that says Tucker Recreation Center isn’t the best location for the courts.

The public information open house took place just one week after Tucker City Council voted 6-1 against moving forward with a bid to build pickleball courts at the Tucker Recreation Center. The 68-page study completed by PSM Consulting detailed what sound mitigation measures would be required at Tucker Recreation Center and an analysis about locating the courts at Henderson or Rosenfeld parks. 

Rip Robertson, Tucker parks and recreation director, asked the council to kill the bid for Tucker Recreation Center, citing concerns about safety and liability issues.

Tucker resident Ivy Beaufort, who was one of about 20 people attending the forum, said she had been waiting for the city council to get more “creative” with their planning for the pickleball courts. 

Of course, not everyone feels the same about it. Here’s an op-ed piece we just published that says Tucker’s decision-makers didn’t follow the science. 

Also, in late-breaking news, the city of Tucker just put out a survey to gauge what citizens want at the TRC.

 Here is Stephanie Toone’s wrap-up about the forum.

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Taste of Tucker for your Saturday calendar

A Tucker favorite is celebrating its sweet 16 this weekend with a smorgasbord of cuisine, activities for the whole family and a mission to raise funds for two local charities.

Taste of Tucker returns from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4 on Main Street, between the railroad tracks and LaVista Road. Last year, the event, curated by Tucker couple Art and Karen Wood, attracted nearly 7,000 people to downtown, raising more than $45,000 for NETWorks Cooperative Ministry and Camp Kudzu, which supports children with Type 1 diabetes. The Woods hope to draw even more attendees and dollars at this year’s event for the same charities.

“Any day you can get out and enjoy a beautiful day with the community is a win – and raising money for our beneficiaries makes it even better,” Karen Wood told Rough Draft last year. “We love the Tucker community and are very fortunate to have their support.”

 All the details are here.

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 Alpharetta Restaurant Week runs Oct. 11–18, with 45+ restaurants offering special menus. It’s the perfect chance to try something new or revisit a favorite spot. Don’t miss the area’s largest culinary event! Learn more here. SPONSOR MESSAGE

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Candidate forums galore

Just a reminder, Rough Draft will host online candidate forums for Tucker Mayor and City Council that will be live-streamed on Monday, Oct. 6 from 3 – 4:30 p.m.  

Rahul Bali, the politics reporter and podcast host for WABE News, will be the moderator. Delaney Tarr from the Saporta Report and I will be asking questions of the candidates.

Here’s the lineup:
Tucker Mayor: 3 – 3:25 p.m.
Invited candidates: Anne Lerner, Noelle Monferdini and Beverly Williams

City Council District 1: 3:30 – 3:45 p.m.
Invited candidates: Roger Orlando (I) and Karen Peters-Rivers

City Council District 2: 3:50 – 4:05 p.m.
Invited candidates: Patrice Cosby and Cara Schroeder (I)

City Council District 3: 4:10 – 4:25 p.m.
Invited candidates: Sam Ulrich and Alexis Weaver (I)

The forums will be available for viewers to watch live or on demand on Rough Draft’s YouTube page.  

There are also several other opportunities to meet the candidates in the next few days. Mayoral candidate Alexis Weaver and mayoral candidate Noelle Monferdini will have a meet-and-greet on Sunday, Oct. 5 from 1-3 p.m. at Shorty’s Pizza, 3701 Lawrenceville Hwy.

District 3 Candidate Sam Ulrich and mayoral candidate Anne Lerner are hosting an event called “Let’s Talk Tucker” on Oct. 7. RSVP for the event here.

So far, that’s all I’ve seen on candidates’ websites or social media, but would be happy to promote any upcoming events. Email me with the details. And anyone who wants to submit a question, feel free to do the same.

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And one more thing

In case you missed it, the city just posted a video of the TKR art installation (created by Phil Proctor of Nucleus Sculpture Studio, LLC) at the new Tucker Town Green. My favorite part is when the guys are eyeballing it to make sure it’s straight. That’s the way I roll and the reason that there’s lots of tiny nail holes in every wall at my house. 

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The post 🙋🏽‍♂️ So much election news appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.