?? Remembering Mr. Charlie Brown

More Monday

March 25 — Mayor Andre Dickens' annual State of the City address is this morning at Atlanta Symphony Hall. Woodruff Arts Center CEO Hala Moddelmog, UPS CEO Carol Tomé,?and Coca-Cola CEO?James Quincey will all give remarks.?

??? Mostly cloudy and 62° today. Expect sun and more spring-like temperatures by week's end.

??? Georgia’s lawmakers are in the final week of the 2024 legislative session.?

?? An estimated 58,000 people rocked out to Barenaked Ladies, Live, and Crash Test Dummies at this weekend's Brookhaven Cherry Blossom Festival , setting a new attendance record.??

???Local real estate agents say the recent lawsuit over commission payments will have little to no effect in Georgia because of?established buyer-broker agreements.

??? Atlanta City Council members tussled over qualifying dates for the special election to replace Keisha Sean Waites, who quit her Post 3 At-Large seat to run for Fulton County Clerk of Courts.?

?? The new Mt. Vernon Highway Bridge over I-285 is expected to be completed early by the end of April.?? The suspect in a fatal shooting at a Brookhaven tattoo shop was arrested in Sandy Springs.

?? Sen. Jon Ossoff and other state officials are demanding answers on the slowdown of mail delivery in Georgia and across the country.

???Georgia upset Wake Forest 72-66 to advance to the quarterfinals of the NIT men's basketball tournament. The Dawgs face Ohio State?tomorrow in Columbus, OH.?

ELSEWHERE??

?? After Houston beat Texas A&M in overtime, all No.1 and 2 seeds advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Eleven-seed NC State is the sole double-digit seed to survive the first two rounds.

? There have been no major upsets in the Women's Tournament as Second Round games continue today .??

?? Comedian?Kevin Hart received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor from the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.?

?? Two years after pulling their music from the digital platform, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young have returned to Spotify.

?? "Water for Elephants," which debuted at The Alliance Theatre last summer, is now on Broadway.

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

? Spiller Park Coffee

? Remembering Mr. Charlie Brown?

? Global Headlines

AND?

? Look & Listen

Have a good day,

Collin & Sammie

???Chase Mizell ,?with Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty, secured the No. 1 spot for volume sold and No. 6 for homes sold at the recent Atlanta REALTORS? Association Top Producers gala.?In 2023, Chase experienced a career high by selling Elton John's Atlanta condo . His interactions with Elton John and David Furnish and global attention made the achievement even more meaningful.

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1. Spiller Park opens in South Downtown April 8

? Ever since he opened?Spiller Park Coffee ?at Ponce City Market back in 2015,?coffee industry veteran Dale Donchey has always wanted to open a business in downtown Atlanta.

The history behind the old Sears, Roebuck & Co. building on Ponce and the former ballpark that used to reside across the street both have deep ties to the city and to the name and?branding ?for Donchey’s coffee shop. A self-proclaimed history buff and ardent baseball fan, Donchey named the coffee shop?for Rell J. Spiller; the owner of defunct minor league baseball team the Atlanta Crackers.?

History once again comes into play for Donchey and Spiller Park Coffee with the opening of its fourth location along Hotel Row in South Downtown on April 8. Spiller Park Coffee joins?TydeTate Thai Kitchen , which opened last summer next door to Donchey’s shop.

? Read more about the new location here .

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2. Atlanta drag icon Mr. Charlie Brown dies at 74

?? Mr. Charlie Brown, Atlanta’s beloved drag star and LGBTQ advocate who entertained audiences for more than 40 years, has died at age 74.

He died March 21, at 10:33 p.m. at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta with his husband, Fred Wise, close friends, and chosen family at his side. Brown was recovering from a second heart valve replacement surgery when sepsis set in,?according to an obituary posted to the Atlanta Eagle’s Facebook page.

Charlie Brown started in Atlanta’s drag scene in the 1970s, but achieved widespread fame in the 1990s?with Charlie Brown’s Cabaret at the renowned 24-hour nightclub Backstreet. The self-proclaimed “Bitch of the South” was also the star of HBO’s 1997 documentary, “Dragtime.”

?? Read more about the icon's life here .

3. Moscow terror attack; Happiness in Finland

???? Russia observed a national day of mourning and charged four men for Friday'sdeadly attack at a Moscow concert ?hall that killed 137 people and wounded 182. The Islamic State claimed responsibility.

????Kate, the Princess of Wales, and Prince William said they were “extremely moved” ?by the outpouring of public support after she revealed that she was undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.?

?????The Philippines is protesting China's "aggressive actions" in the South China Sea, including an incident involving water cannons used by the Chinese coastguard against a Filipino boat.

???? In Nigeria,?137 schoolchildren and teachers who were abducted by suspected terrorists?have been rescued.

???? Finland again topped the list of the world's happiest countries , with the top 10 dominated by Nordic countries. Researchers for the World Happiness Report?noted that the U.S. ranking dropped to 23rd from 15th, a decline driven by unhappiness in adolescents and young adults .?

???? A judge in Spain?has suspended ?the popular messaging app Telegram over allegations of copyright infringement. An estimated 8.5 people in Spain use the app known for refusing to release user information to authorities.

?? People and governments in 180 countries turned out their lights for the 18th?annual?Earth Hour . The World Wildlife Fund estimates that participants collectively gave?1.4 million hours ?back to the planet.

???? The German national soccer team signed a $108 million deal with Nike, ?ending a 70-year partnership with Adidas.

?? People?in India, Nepal, other South Asian countries, and across the diaspora celebrated the?colorful festival of Holi .?

?? The?World Affairs Council of Atlanta?is a non-partisan, non-profit, membership organization. We provide a forum for informed discussion of global affairs that impact metro Atlanta's economy, culture, and quality of life. Since 2010, we have organized hundreds of programs exploring a diverse array of critical global issues.?Learn more and join today! ?

???Kim Boyd and Kathryn Boyd Crabtree of The Boyd Team ,?with Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty, attained the No. 1 spot for team volume and No. 2 for homes sold at the recent Atlanta REALTORS? Association Top Producers gala.When asked about 2023, they recall a standout transaction that included a Rolls-Royce from the buyer's dealership to overcome pricing disagreements and seal the deal.

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4. Freaknik Remembered?

With last week's release of the Freaknik documentary on Hulu, the HBCU spring-break-picnic-turned-controversial-street-party is making headlines 25 years after its demise. Here are a few podcasts and deeper dives to add more context:

???“Freaknik: A Discourse on a Paradise Lost”: Tune in for recollections from?musicians, journalists, residents, and politicians as they relive and investigate the legacy of Freaknik. You can listen here .?

???“Get Your Freaknik On”: Take a closer look at the impact that Freaknik still has on Atlanta and Black youth culture today featuring people who planned and attended the parties. Tune in here .?

????“Freaknik: An Oral History”:?Check out Atlanta magazine's?interviews with Kasim Reed, Sam Massell, Jermaine Dupri, Dallas Austin, Eldrin Bell, Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell, and more. You can read more here. ?

???“Freaknik Reunion 2024”: The party lives on with a reunion event planned for April 20 and hosted by Killer Mike. Follow for more details here .?

?? Experience empowerment and connection at?Harmony Through Menopause: A Weekend Wellness Retreat,?May 3-5 in Delray Beach, FL. Discover natural and medical solutions for your menopausal symptoms, stress management, and hormone balance, while forging lasting friendships and finding inner harmony.?Learn more here.

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