There are no celebrities in this story, but there are two stars. Jim and Jo Anne Taylor are the kinds of folks you know from church or your grandkids' school. He's an executive at a construction firm; she's a retired school nurse. And they are quiet philanthropists, whose gift comes wrapped in the shade of dogwoods and the flutter of butterfly wings. "It's an opportunity for us to do something for our community," Jim Taylor said of the pocket park he and Jo Anne have created in their Marietta neighborhood.
A dilapidated rental house sat on the property facing their house 11 years ago. When a for-sale sign appeared four years ago, the Taylors acted fast and snapped it up. They could have renovated and sold the house, or knocked it down and built another home (or two) to sell. Instead, they worked with Lost Mountain Nursery owner Teena Barnes to create a sun-dappled Eden that they share with whomever stops by.
"They're neat people," Barnes said. "They could have sold the land for money, they could have done anything they wanted. This speaks very highly of the kind of people they are." Taylor Park, which is irrigated by well water, features a pea-gravel path lined with shade-loving varieties and a bright grassy patch ringed by Knock Out roses, columbines, zinnias, cosmos and other blooms that love the sun.
A wooden gazebo, a garden bench and whimsical pieces of yard art lend a sense of structure. "Jim said 'just don't let it get tacky,' " chuckled Jo Anne, the collector in the family. The Taylors' grandchildren, Reid, 6, and Morgan, 3, love playing in the park, and friends have started showing up to take family photos there. But all are welcome.
"We see people sitting and reading, or doing their homework," Jo Anne Taylor said. Added her husband, "We like to sit and talk to people as they come by. It's really created an opportunity for us to meet a lot of the neighbors. It's our front door."
WTE goes OTP
The Cameron Diaz-Jennifer Lopez movie "What to Expect When You're Expecting," has been filming at several in-town locations including the Mansion in Buckhead, but headed outside the Perimeter on Friday. The project filmed in Sandy Springs, at a home near Mount Vernon Baptist and Holy Innocents Episcopal churches.
Celebrity birthdays
Actor Elliott Gould is 73. Movie director Joel Schumacher is 72. TV personality Robin Leach is 70. Actor G.W. Bailey is 67. Actor Ray Wise is 64. Actress Deborah Van Valkenburgh is 59. Dancer-choreographer Mark Morris is 55. Country musician Dan Truman (Diamond Rio) is 55. Actress Rebecca DeMornay is 52. R&B singer Carl Martin is 41. Actress Carla Gugino is 40. Rock musician Kyle Cook (Matchbox Twenty) is 36. Actor John Hensley is 34. Rock musician David Desrosiers (Simple Plan) is 31. Actress Jennifer Landon is 28. Actor Jeffrey Licon is 26. Actress-singer Lea Michele ("Glee") is 25.
Contributing: news services
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