Rough Draft Atlanta

In 2021, Deonte’ Bolden published “Differently Abled,” a children’s book aimed at helping kids learn to accept and love their peers with special needs. The book was inspired by the life of Bolden’s late brother, Jaquan, who had muscular dystrophy and passed away in 2006. “After he passed, it kind of prompted me to start writing to express my feelings,” he said.

Thursday, Oct. 15 (4 Heshvan 5787) — With record numbers of Georgians going to the polls ahead of the Nov. 3 election, I’m back on my voting soapbox. Find early voting locations here. 🇮🇱 Israel’s elections – expected to be pivotal – will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 27. Below we’ve compiled ways to participate, whether you’re just learning about the candidates, watching the results come in or waiting for the aftermath. Remember, Israel is seven hours ahead of Atlanta.

Sometimes, movies are great works of art. Sometimes, they are about a man who gets stuck inside of a sperm whale. And both of these things should be enjoyed. “Whalefall,” based on the novel of the same name by Daniel Kraus (who also co-wrote the script for the film), falls into the second category. A year after his cancer-stricken, estranged father (Josh Brolin) dies by throwing himself into the ocean, Jay (Austin Abrams) decides to go looking for his remains.

There is a moment in the latter half of “You Can See Everything” where somebody – much like the audience, at that point in the film – is struggling to put into words how they feel about Elizabeth Holmes. Notorious (genius?) filmmaker and comedian Nathan Fielder has just shown this person the first half of “You Can See Everything,” a documentary he co-directed with Lance Oppenheim.

A former member of the Norcross Discovery Garden Board has filed a restraining order against a man renting one of the park’s raised garden beds after he allegedly threatened her life on Oct. 13. A clerk at the Gwinnett County Magistrate Court confirmed with Rough Draft Atlanta on Oct. 15 that a judge signed a restraining order against the man whom the former board member, Carlotta “Lottie” Jackson-Kelly, Ph.D., alleges threatened her life at her workplace in the early morning of Oct. 13.

During Brookhaven Mayor John Park’s 5 p.m. public meeting on Oct. 13 and a city council meeting held at 6:30 p.m., residents asked the panel to defer a decision or look at alternate sites before signing an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) for a new fire station at Blackburn Park. After the comments, the Brookhaven City Council voted 3-1 to authorize a 50-year IGA to place the fire station at the original site. Council Member Madeline Simmons was the lone dissenting vote.

This story comes to Rough Draft through a content partnership with Channel 2 Action News At a recent Atlanta City Council committee meeting, recently installed CEO Jonathan Hunt addressed delays in delivering new trains for the system and a budget shortfall. Channel 2 Action News reported on the budget issue, when an audit review of the most recent fiscal year flagged a number of monetary difficulties MARTA experienced through June.

Atlanta Streets Alive returns Sunday, Oct. 18, bringing a car-free afternoon to West End and Grant Park. The free event will run from 2 to 6 p.m. along Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard and Georgia Avenue, temporarily transforming portions of the streets into public spaces for walking, biking, skating, dancing and other activities. The route connects several southwest Atlanta neighborhoods, including Historic West End, Westview, Adair Park, Pittsburgh, Mechanicsville, and Summerhill.

A Halloween tradition returns to Little Five Points this weekend, Oct. 17-18, bringing two days of live music, local art, costumed characters, and spooky attractions to the neighborhood. The Little 5 Points Halloween Festival & Parade runs both days, with the artist market on Euclid Avenue from noon to 6 p.m. Organizers expect more than 100 artists and vendors, allowing visitors to shop for handmade art, crafts, and other unusual finds while supporting independent businesses.

Thursday, Oct. 15 — Hello, internet friends. 🐔 Back in my big media days, I wrote quite a bit about rotisserie chicken. I also organized a huge taste test and inadvertently caused a rotisserie revamp at a certain Birmingham-area grocery store, but that’s another story.