Season of giving
Dec. 5 — We hope you enjoyed time with friends and family for Thanksgiving. This newsletter includes ways you can celebrate the rest of the holiday season and help those who need support this time of the year.
🚨 The GBI is investigating a shooting involving Sandy Springs Police at Dunwoody Place and Roswell Road on Thursday morning.
✨ Sandy Springs’ annual holiday celebration Sparkle Sandy Springs takes place on Sun., Dec. 7. Festivities include a parade and lighting of a Christmas tree and Hanukkah menorah.
🚂 Several Sandy Springs businesses are serving as Toys for Tots drop-off locations, including City Hall, the Sandy Springs Fire Department, Jim Ellis Ford, and Primrose School of Sandy Springs North.
⚽️ The Sandy Springs City Council approved an agreement with the US Department of Homeland Security’s World Cup Grant program to fund overtime costs for Sandy Springs public safety staff who will assist with security when the international event comes to town next year.
🕯️ Sandy Springs-based Newell Brands announced plans to lay off nearly 1,000 people globally and close some of its Yankee Candle stores in the US and Canada.
📚 Books-A-Million in Sandy Springs has a ribbon cutting ceremony at 11:30 a.m. on Fri., Dec. 5 and its grand opening on Sat., Dec. 6 at 11 a.m.
COMING SOON
🎉 Be on the lookout for the Sandy Springs Reporter Newspaper special issue celebrating Sandy Springs 20th anniversary.
Thanks for reading,
The Rough Draft Team
✨ Join Brendan Murphy, Director of the Bearing Witness Institute, for a three-part series exploring Jewish–Christian relations—from early antisemitism to the Holocaust and modern reconciliation. Featuring survivor George Rishfeld, this program deepens understanding and strengthens our shared moral responsibility. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul wins reelection
🗳️ Incumbent Mayor Rusty Paul won a fourth term as mayor of Sandy Springs, according to unofficial results in the Dec. 2 runoff election.
Paul collected 10,298 votes with all precincts reporting. Opponent Dontaye Carter tallied 4,568. Slightly more than half of Paul’s votes came in advance and absentee voting, with 5,298 ballots for the incumbent. Carter had 1,984 votes cast for him during early voting.
✅ Frank Roberts beat Michelle Sullivan in the runoff for Sandy Springs City Council District 4 after receiving 1,063 votes with unofficial results and all precincts reporting. Sullivan received 830 votes.
📍Read more about the Sandy Springs runoff election results.
Join our January–February series exploring the history of Jewish–Christian relations
SPONSORED BY BEARING WITNESS INSTITUTE AT MARIST SCHOOL
📜 From the roots of Christian antisemitism to the horrors of the Holocaust and the hopeful pathways of reconciliation today, participants will explore this complex story with clarity and compassion.
The series includes an in-depth historical overview, a focused session on the Holocaust, and a moving testimony from survivor George Rishfeld.
✔️ All are welcome to deepen understanding and strengthen interfaith commitment.
CAC and Solidarity Sandy Springs bring holiday joy to children
🧸 More than 700 children still need help from the Sandy Springs and Dunwoody communities in the Community Assistance Center’s Hope for the Holidays program (CAC).
Sponsors purchase physical gifts for the children and deliver them unwrapped to the CAC Holiday Gift Center from a list provided. CAC coordinates pickup with the parents, letting them wrap them and present to their children.
🎁 Solidarity Sandy Springs is asking community members to adopt a family to receive presents this holiday season with its Solidarity Secret Santa – Adopt a Family program.
The organization has collected clothing sizes, favorite colors, and asked for items the children would love to wake up to on Christmas morning.
Prospective donors can scroll through and select a family from the drop-down list in the sign-up form on Solidarity’s website. Anyone wanting to adopt more than one family should fill out a separate form per family.
💝 Learn more about how you can support the Community Assistance Center and Solidarity Sandy Springs this holiday season.
Nonna Dora Italian Eatery in Sandy Springs named one of Atlanta’s best new restaurants
🍝 Rough Draft’s dining team, Beth McKibben and Sarra Sedghi, spent the last year eating at dozens of new restaurants across Atlanta. Many meals and debates later, they narrowed a lengthy list of contenders down to just 11 stellar restaurants (and one collaboration) that kept capturing their attention in 2025. Nonna Dora Italian Eatery in Sandy Springs made the list.
When you find yourself sipping on Parmigiana sauce from a spoon like it’s a luxurious stew or bisque, you know you’re in the midst of a transcendent dining experience. Thank Nonna Dora for that, whose namesake shaped chef-owner Patrizio Alaia’s childhood and cooking philosophy. Every menu item, from the cheesy frittatine to the 100-percent beef meatballs, carries his grandmother’s influence.
👉🏼 Read more about Nonna Dora and check out the complete list here.
SANDY SPRINGS READERS’ CHOICE
🍕 It’s probably not a surprise, but readers voted Mister 01 Pizza the favorite new Sandy Springs restaurant in 2025. Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote!
RELATED
🫓 While we’re on the topic of Sandy Springs faves, our Rough Draft dining duo reports Rumi’s Kitchen is scheduled to reopen next month after closing in March for renovations.
✨ Join Brendan Murphy, Director of the Bearing Witness Institute, for a three-part series exploring Jewish–Christian relations—from early antisemitism to the Holocaust and modern reconciliation. Featuring survivor George Rishfeld, this program deepens understanding and strengthens our shared moral responsibility. SPONSOR MESSAGE
What’s doin’ around Sandy Springs
🩰 Dec. 5 – 7:Roswell Dance Theatre presents The Nutcracker at City Springs
🎁 Dec. 6:SWEA’s Christmas Market at the Dorothy C. Benson Senior Complex
🎅🏼 Dec. 6:Santa photos at Hollywood Feed (Also Dec. 13)
🕎 Dec. 7: Congregation Or VeShalom Hanukkah Bazaar
🪀 Dec. 7: Atlanta Blue’s Society Holiday Party & Toys for Tots Drive at the Dorothy C. Benson Senior Complex
🏃🏽♂️ Dec. 10:Holiday Sweater Run at Pontoon Brewing
🗓️ Add your event to our free, online event calendar
The Sports Section
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SCORE ATLANTA
🏀 BOYS BASKETBALL
- Holy Innocents’ (5-1): Friday @ Hapeville Charter (1-4); Saturday vs. ELCA (1-3)
- Lovett (4-2): Friday @ Washington (0-4)
- Mt. Vernon (6-0): Friday @ Atlanta International (2-2); Saturday @ Mt. Bethel Christian (4-1)
- North Springs (0-7): Friday vs. Tucker (6-2)
- Pace Academy (1-3): Saturday vs. Kankakee, IL. (1-0)
- Riverwood (0-5): Friday vs. Sequoyah (2-3); Saturday vs. Washington (0-4)
- Westminster (7-0): Dec. 12 @ Wesleyan (1-2)
🏀 GIRLS BASKETBALL
- Holy Innocents’ (4-3): Dec. 13 vs. Milton (4-0)
- Lovett (3-2): Friday @ Washington (1-3); Saturday vs. Brookstone (2-3)
- Mt. Vernon (0-3): Friday @ Atlanta International (2-1); Saturday @ Mt. Bethel Christian (3-2)
- North Springs (0-5): Friday vs. Tucker (3-3)
- Pace Academy (1-1): Tuesday @ Creekside (4-1)
- Riverwood (2-5): Friday vs. Sequoyah (3-2); Saturday vs. Washington (1-3)
- Westminster (5-1): Saturday @ Girls Preparatory School, TN. (3-3)
Score Atlanta Game of the Week: Friday’s quarterfinals matchup between the Gainesville Red Elephants (10-2) at the Langston Hughes Panthers (12-0) will be televised live at 7:30 p.m. on Atlanta News First (Channel 46) and the Peachtree Sports Network (cable & YouTube TV) and streamed digitally on the Atlanta News First (ANF) website/app and the NFHS Network.
Tune in at 7 p.m. for the Georgia High School Countdown to Kickoff for pregame festivities and our guest picker! Stay tuned after the game for the Georgia High School Postgame Show.
☑️ We appreciate everyone who has been encouraging people to sign up for our newsletter. Here is the link. 👋 And here’s a link to subscribe to some of our other newsletters. SPONSOR MESSAGE