?? Hello, spring

Spring into Thursday?

March 20?— Three days of events that comprise the?High Museum's Wine Auction start today.?Since 1993, the auction has raised $37 million to support the museum's community programs.

?? Spring officially arrived at 5:01 a.m. After some early-morning showers, it will be cloudy and 62° today.

?? The Atlanta City Council voted to temporarily exempt the Atlanta Beltline and other public infrastructure projects from tree removal and replacement rules.

????Tort reform legislation could get a vote in the Georgia House today after it cleared the committee on Tuesday.

??? Sidewalks will be the topic at an open house today from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Sandy Springs City Hall.

?? MARTA appointed?three new leaders to its executive team, including Chief of Staff Steven Parker, Chief Administrative Officer LaShanda Dawkins, and Chief Legal Counsel Jonathan Hunt.?

?? UGA accepted 33% of a record 48,000 applicants for its Class of 2029. The incoming students represent 154 of Georgia's 159 counties and all 50 states.

?? March Madness starts today with?Georgia facing Gonzaga in the opening round of the?NCAA Tournament at 4:35 p.m. today (TBS; 95.5 FM).

ELSEWHERE

?? The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady yesterday but signaled it was still targeting two cuts this year. Stocks rose on the news.?

???? Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is headed to meet EU leaders after a "positive" call with President Donald Trump, where they discussed power plant security.?

??? President Trump is expected to sign an executive order today directing the education secretary to wind down the department and "return education authority to the States."

?? Here's what's in today's newsletter:

? Atlanta's water revamp

? Tucker's missing goat

? Artist Charly Palmer

? Car subscriptions?

AND?

? Quick Bites

???Happy Nowruz – the Persian New Year – to those who celebrate.

?? Springtime in Atlanta means it’s time for the 89th Annual Atlanta Dogwood Festival. Held in Piedmont Park April 11-13, this three-day outdoor event has fine art, live music and entertainment, children’s activities, and more — and it’s free to attend!

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1. $2 billion and 20 years to upgrade Atlanta's water infrastructure

?? The upgrade to Atlanta’s failing water infrastructure will cost an estimated $2 billion and take 20 years to complete, according to Mayor Andre Dickens.

Dickens announced the estimated cost and timeline on March 18 at a press conference at Shirley Franklin Park, the former Westside Park that holds Atlanta’s backup reservoir.

The mayor said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Atlanta Water Advisory Group, impaneled after?last summer’s water main breaks?crippled parts of the city, are working to make recommendations for the upgrades and improvements.

???Read more here.

Robert Spano Conducts Scheherazade

SPONSORED BY ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

?? Music Director Laureate Robert Spano returns to conduct the?Atlanta Symphony Orchestra?in two adventurous programs. The?first weekend?is almost sold out!

The second weekend (March 27 and 29), Spano takes us on a journey into the many tales of?1001 Arabian Nights?that come to life in Rimsky-Korsakov’s vivid symphonic poem?Scheherazade, which tells the stories with a sumptuous, richly hued tapestry of orchestral colors—listen here.

?? Piano powerhouse Jae Hong Park joins Spano for a delightful rarity by Scriabin. The program opens with Sibelius’ enigmatic?Tapiola, a tone poem inspired by the fiercely rugged Scandinavian wilderness.

????Get your tickets here.

2. Tucker farm fears missing goat?‘became dinner’

???Tucker’s Thomas Family Farm members have lost a member of their beloved menagerie, a 60-pound Nigerian dwarf goat named Clementine, whom they believe was stolen on a stormy March 15 evening.

Bill and Megan Thomas, whose eight-acre farm on Idlewood Road includes chickens, dogs, goats, and sheep, has long been a destination for animal lovers. The couple has always welcomed visitors to the farm for a friendly encounter with their two- and four-legged pets. But that may all change soon with the disappearance of Clementine.

“We are absolutely heartbroken over this,” Megan said. “It’s so sad, but we feel like we are now going to have to make it so the goats are no longer accessible. We are scared these people are going to pick them off one by one.”?

She told police that the most logical theory is that Clementine “became someone’s dinner or has ended up in someone’s freezer.”

??Read Cathy Cobbs' story here.

3. Artist Charly Palmer discusses hope and Black joy

???For more than 30 years, artist Charly Palmer has been celebrating Blackness and African ancestry through inspired contemporary art.

“My common thread is love, a love of Black people, love of hope and the spirit and the ancestors, telling the story that is rich in truth and debunking all the lies,” said Palmer.

Originally from Fayette, AL, and raised in Milwaukee, WI, Palmer later studied at the School of Art Institute of Chicago and received a degree from the American Academy of Art. He now calls Atlanta home, and has taught illustration, design, and painting at Spelman College in addition to pursuing his independent artwork career.

???Learn more about Palmer's life and work here.

4. Swift Ride looks to make car subscriptions more accessible

?? From its headquarters in Atlanta,?Swift Ride?is bringing more mobility options to people looking to get on the road.

The app-based startup, run by CEO?Sani Abdullah?and COO?Faizan Naveed, provides flexible car subscription options for those who need a car without owning or leasing a vehicle. After filling out an application on the startup’s app, users can rent vehicles based on their needs.

Swift Ride is looking to help gig workers, travelers, and everyday people find access to the cars they need with its growing fleet, which now includes over 30 vehicles in Atlanta.

?Read the whole story from Hypepotamus here.

?? Join us at The Breman Museum for an unforgettable evening of Yiddish classics reimagined with Latin and jazz influences. Featuring 10-time Grammy winner Janis Siegel, Grammy-nominated pianist John di Martino, and Cantor Daniel Kramer. Join us on Sun., March 23!

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5. Quick Bites

VIA SIDE DISH, A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER|SUBSCRIBE HERE

?? Longtime?Candler Park?tea room?Dr. Bombay’s Underwater Tea Party?will relocate to?Grant Park?starting the first week of April, winding down 20 years of service on McLendon Avenue.?

??????For this week's Quick Bites, Beth also has an update on the hunt for the Costco hot turkey sandwich in Metro Atlanta. Plus, she brings you details on where teachers can get free coffee on Fridays in Midtown, and she offers intel on coffee shop and restaurant openings in Decatur, East Atlanta, Buckhead, and Downtown Atlanta.

???Here's the full roundup of this week’s dining news from Beth.

?? Join us at The Breman Museum for an unforgettable evening of Yiddish classics reimagined with Latin and jazz influences. Featuring 10-time Grammy winner Janis Siegel, Grammy-nominated pianist John di Martino, and Cantor Daniel Kramer. Join us on Sun., March 23!

SPONSOR MESSAGE

?? Today's newsletter was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.

???Don't miss News Word Atlanta, our new,?daily word game?- Presented by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta’s premier undergraduate learning experience.

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