The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia • B6

PAGELABELTAG COMMUNITY B6 CREDIBLE. COMPELLING. COMPLETE. THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2016 DOING GOOD METRO ATLANTANS HELPING OTHERS National conference attendees give back to Atlanta women ACTUAL FACTUAL GEORGIA Kroger on Ponce has notorious nickname Attendees of the National Association of Resale Professionals conference volunteer at Dress for Success Atlanta. Volunteers helped sort, organize and merchandise clothing for the nonprofit's semiannual Sale.

CONTRIBUTED BY THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF RESALE AND THRIFT STORES INFORMATION National Association of Resale and Thrift Stores, narts.org Dress for Success Atlanta, atlanta.dressforsuccess.org Action Ministries, actionministries.net WHO'S DOING GOOD? Each Tuesday, we write about charity events such as fun-runs, volunteer projects and other community gatherings that benefit a good cause. To suggest an event for us to cover, contact Devika Rao at doing.goodAJCgmail.com. the Atlanta area. With over 1,100 members, NARTS serves resale shops of all types by providing educational and professional development for future owners and current store ownersmanagers in the resale industry. "As business leaders, we must seek out ways to help others succeed and use our talents and gifts in doing so," added Kallenberg.

In other news: Camp Grace received a new grant from Aaron's valued at $10,000. The grant, which is a part of Aaron's "Own Your Summer" Scholarship Program, will cover all necessary fees to send 30 of Georgia's underserved youths to the camp, located outside of Macon, Georgia. This is the inaugural year for Aaron's "Own Your Summer" Scholarship Program, which will provide 100 underserved youths ing with career development and ongoing support. "Dress for Success Atlanta helps women gain the confidence and self-sufficiency they need to succeed," said Sandy Johnson, director of DFS Atlanta. "We rely on the generosity of groups like NARTS as well as individuals through their time, talents and funds to deliver the much needed services to women and their children." Volunteers moved racks and boxes of merchandise to be sold into the sale area, set up a flow plan, organized and sized, priced hundreds of items and merchandised the sales floor so it would create for an easy shopping experience.

Additionally, NARTS' members also created care packages out of donated handbags filled with toiletries and essentials in conjunction with Action Ministries Atlanta, which will distribute the handbags to homeless women in Group partners with local nonprofits on pair of initiatives. By Devi ka Rao Forthe AJC While attending the annual National Association of Resale Professionals conference in Atlanta, hosted by the National Association of Resale and Thrift Stores, over 350 conference attendees helped launch the beginning of a giveback tradition for the national association. After witnessing the positive impact that her small business has made through charitable donations, fundraising and volunteering in the community, Bonnie Kallenberg was inspired to start a tradition within the NARTS organization in which business leaders could come together with the goal of making a positive impact in each conference city. "When I learned the conference was coming to Atlanta, I thought it would be a great opportunity to launch a service project opportunity as part of the offerings for attendees," said Bonnie Kallenberg, owner of Atlanta consignment chain Finders Keepers Inc and president of NARTS. Volunteers took on two projects to empower women of Atlanta.

The first project was in partnership with Dress for Success Atlanta, where resale professionals used clothing donations to create a "pop-up" store for the Dress for Success semi-annual sale that was held on July 2. With Kallenberg's longstanding relationship with Dress for Success Atlanta, it seemed fitting for NARTS to provide a day of service to the nonprofit that empowers women by providing professional attire and continu- Today's News FORSYTH COUNTY Public hearings set on county millage rates Forsyth County has scheduled public hearings in July on its plan to keep the county's millage rates unchanged, a decision that would increase property taxes levied this year by 1.89 percent over the rollback millage rate. The hearings are set for 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Thursday and 6 p.m.

July 21 at the county Administration Building, 110 E. Main Suite 220, Cumming. The maintenance and operations rate will remain 4.642 mills; the fire rate, 1.975 mills; and the bond rate, 1.419 mills. Forsyth has proposed a fiscal 2017 budget with a general fund of $116.4 million, 6.9 percent more than FY 2016's $108.9 million. Funds are provided for merit and cost-of-living increases for employees, and 21 new full-time positions.

Also, $3 million is in the capital fund to begin replacing public safety radios for agencies including the Sheriff's Office and Fire Department, a three-year process that will cost $9 million total. The Board of Commissioners is to vote on the millage rates at 7 p.m., July 21. DAVID IBATA FOR THE AJC DEKALB Brookhaven considers a new mixed use building The Brookhaven Planning Commission will hold a regular meeting 7 p.m. Wednesday at Brookhaven City Hall, 4362 Peachtree Road to review a rezoning ordinance for development of a mixed use building located at 1411, 1417, 1423, and 1427 Dresden Drive. The project, once completed, will have 121 residential units with 3,600 square feet of live-work units and 9,000 square feet of ground floor commercial space.

The rezoning request is made by I saw an article that said something about Murder Kroger. I'm interested in finding out what Murder Kroger is, and where it is. -Jan Owens, Dunwoody That unfortunate label was placed on the Kroger at 725 Ponce de Leon Ave. sometime after the first murder occurred in the store's parking lot in 1991. Eleven years later, a body was found there.

In March 2015, just four months after a Kroger official told 90.1 FM WABE that the company wanted that location to be known as the Beltline Kroger, a construction worker was shot and killed outside the store. And if there's guilt by association, in 2012, a college student was killed in the adjacent Ford Factory Lofts, just across that same parking lot. The nickname has inspired a song "Murder Kroger" by a band called Attractive Eighties Women and has its own not-so-official Facebook page (facebook. comMurdrKroger) Murder Kroger won't be around much longer. The AJC reported earlier this year that the store, which was built in 1986, will be demolished and replaced by a new building in a mixed-used project called 725 Ponce.

The new Kroger will have an entrance directly on the Beltline and the building will include 900 parking spaces. And perhaps even a new nickname. More on the Municipal Auditorium My recent column on the Municipal Auditorium brought back memories for Atlanta's W. Reid Whita-ker, who said he saw the St. Louis Hawks play an exhibition game there and attended the monthly "All Night Sings," which starred gospel music pioneer Wally Fowler.

"I went every month," Whita-ker wrote. "And, the City League basketball tournament was played there. (I) saw that at least one year." Laura Drummond, founder and principal of Atlanta Preservation and Planning Services, emailed to remind me that the building's auditorium was demolished in the early 1980s and that area was turned into a plaza and a parking deck by Georgia State. The former armory is now Dahl-berg Hall. "There is a small auditorium inside this building, which unfortunately some people mistakenly believe was the City Auditorium," Drummond wrote.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW? If you're new in town orjust have questions about this special place we call home, ask us! E-mail Andy Johnston atqc6.aajc.com. Illlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Get the latest On your laptop, tablet or cellphone: For metro news and photos, follow on Twitter: ajc; Facebook: AJC; or Instagram: allthingsAJC. AJC Goto AJC.comsneighborhoods for more coverage devoted to where you I ive, seven days a week. Contact us: Send your newstips and ideas to communitynews ajc.com. from Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Tennessee with scholarships to attend overnight summer camps.

Revenue highlights include an anticipated $5.7 million in SPLOST funding, including a grant of $242,023 from the Georgia Department of Transportation. SPLOST funding will be dedicated to roadways and walkways with the Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant specifically used for sidewalk construction. A copy of the budget is available at www.peachtreecornersga. gov or by calling Brandon Bran-ham at 770-609-8818. KAREN HUPPERTZ FOR THE AJC COBB Marietta Ward 5 candidates to meet Marietta Mayor Steve Tum-lin and City Council will host a Ward 5 Town Hall meeting 4 p.m.

Thursday, before the 5:15 p.m. agenda work session, at the City Hall Council Chambers, 205 Lawrence Marietta. The meeting will allow Ward 5 residents to meet other Ward 5 residents who have expressed an interest in being appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal to fill the City Council vacancy. Public comment will be open for five-minute intervals.

So far four residents Tom Sawyer, Diana Simmons, Reuben Sands and Reginald Copeland -hope to be chosen. The vacancy was left when Anthony Coleman was declared guilty in May on one count of lying about his friend's community service. Cobb Superior Court Judge Tain Kell sentenced Coleman to serve 500 hours of community service and five years of probation and to pay a $1,000 fine. Marietta does not have a process for filling a City Council seat during a temporary suspension making Deal's involvement necessary. Coleman's conviction may be overturned and he then could be reinstated to serve on the Council.

CAROLYN CUNNINGHAM FOR THE AJC STUDENTS, JUDGES TAKE PART IN MENTORING PROGRAM High school students from Central Gwinnett and South Gwinnett High schools met with local judges as part of Summer Mentoring in Legal Education Gwinnett, a mentoring program focused on the legal system. A panel of Recorder's Court judges, a Magistrate Court judge, a State Court judge, and a Superior Court judge, all from the Gwinnett Circuit, spent over an hour discussing their legal careers and the law with students eager to learn about the legal prof ession. The students were given the opportunity to ask questions and peppered the judges with questions about their legal backgrounds and various legal issues. State Court Judges Pam South and Joe lannazzone initiated the S.M.I.L.E. Gwinnett program this spring with the assistance of teacher Rebecca Streetman, program specialist for law, public safety, corrections and security at South Gwinnett High School, and attorney Dana Pagan, a former teacher at Central Gwinnett High School and now a Gwinnett County assistant solicitor.

Students applied forthe program and were selected in April. The program encompasses six themed presentations and a graduation ceremony, all in the months of June and July. The program takes place at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center, the county courthouse in Lawrenceville, where students have attended sessions in courtrooms. The program kicked off June 3 with a lunch with lawyers event forthe students sponsored by the Gwinnett Bar Association. Pictured here, attorneys Dana Pagan, Joelle Nazaire and Daniela Costan lunch with high school student Angelic Showalter at the Gwinnett S.M.I.L.E.

program. Fiscal Year 2017 budget. The city's general fund budget of $9.3 million represents an increase of $700,000 from the FY2016 budget. Business licenses, insurance premium tax and franchise taxes paid by utility companies make up the vast majority of total revenue. There were no increases in any user fees in the budget and the city property tax millage rate will remain at zero.

the Galloway Law Group LLC on behalf of Terwilliger Pappas Multi-Family LLC. Information: www.brookha-venga.gov. DIONNE KINCH FOR THE AJC GWINNETT Peachtree Corners approves 2017 budget The Peachtree Corners City Council recently approved the.