Beach season alert: The persistence of marine debris, carried by enormous ocean currents, inspired the provocative sculptures and assemblages at the odd museum in CDC headquarters. If you swim in the ocean or admire its immense power, seek out “Gyre: The Plastic Ocean” before it closes June 16 at the David J. Sencer CDC Museum. GSU distinguished art professor Pam Longobardi fashioned a giant cornucopia titled “Dark and Plentiful Bounty,” the largest and most complex sculpture of her career. It features only a fraction of the tons of trash gathered from remote inlets in Alaska—garbage that became the palette for the 25 artists in this exhibit.
Category: Archived Columnists
Posted inColumns, Main Slider, Saba Long
Atlantans fighting sex slavery and human trafficking
A few years ago while attending a gala at a Buckhead hotel, I noticed an elegantly framed bulletin in the women’s restroom. It provided a phone number to call if the reader was a victim of sex slavery.
One would think sordid, deviant behavior of that nature would take place in the hour motels far from the highbrow crowd. Yet, sex trafficking – a $9. 5 billion criminal enterprise – happens right under our nose.
Posted inMichelle Hiskey & Ben Smith
After 25 Years of ADA, our sense of service dogs isn’t fixed
Service dogs like Chevy and Bobby, who live in Tucker and help their owner with PTSD, are a topic of great interest this week in Atlanta at the National ADA Symposium, which marks the 25th anniversary of the nation’s landmark Americans with Disabilities Act. More people are taking animals of all kinds on planes and into public spaces—for comfort more than service—because the accessibility laws can be confusing.
Posted inColumns, Saba Long
Georgia still playing the fool on transportation spending
Our semi-eloquent president George W. Bush once opined: “There’s an old saying in Tennessee…” After a pregnant pause he tried again: “I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee that says: ‘Fool me once, shame on … shame on you. Fool me… You can’t get fooled again!’”
No one likes egg on his or her face. Especially politicians.
Posted inColumns, Main Slider, Michelle Hiskey & Ben Smith
Atlanta’s roller derby moms lean in for real
Maisha “Queen Loseyateefa” Polite of Dunwoody, Shannon “Deathskull” Nowlan and Michelle “Hate Ashbury” Brattain were moms who felt like something was missing in their lives. Each woman discovered her alter ego on wheels, relying on core strength, teamwork and assertiveness. They will celebrate Mother’s Day by competing in roller derby with the Atlanta Rollergirls as their daughters (who are learning the sport) and moms cheer on their fearlessness and drive. For these women, the only way to circle the track is to lean in.
Posted inColumns, Michelle Hiskey & Ben Smith
Bow-tied Alpha Derby Party bucks odds to benefit young black men
The odds weren’t great last year when local Alpha Phi Alpha chapters brainstormed to raise money for educating young black men. They wanted an event that had style, substance and would capture the imagination of donors, and the cause was timely because of police shootings in Ferguson and elsewhere.
This week they are turning people away from Saturday’s first Alpha Derby Party, which sold out so quickly that they moved to the City Club of Buckhead, which also sold out. More than 750 guests, about a third from out of state, and national sponsors have stepped up.
Posted inColumns, Saba Long
Seeking silence and finding balance in the beauty of nature
Recently, I noticed my equilibrium has been unbalanced. The new year has been a constant barrage of time-sensitive calls and emails and double-digit hours of work each day. The fast pace has left me wanting.
In an attempt to quiet the mind and body, I have sought solace at Serenbe, or in town, at the Cascade Nature Preserve. Trekking deep into these places, I’ve been able to leave the city behind.
Posted inColumns, Michelle Hiskey & Ben Smith
The underdog’s bittersweet aftermath from Atlanta teacher cheating trial
When 11 Atlanta teachers are sentenced in the cheating scandal, local defense attorney Sandy Wallack will observe with bitter sweetness. Fewer than 5 percent of criminal defendants who go to trial get acquitted; his client walked away. Dessa Curb, a special education teacher at Dobbs Elementary School, was the only one; her 11 fellow courtroom underdogs failed.
Posted inColumns, Saba Long
As America negotiates with Iran on nuclear deal – distrust and verify
Playing partisan politics with nuclear weapons is simply not worth the risk. America leads with diplomacy, not naïve trust nor with avertable warfare.
Just weeks after Senate Republicans attempted to sabotage nuclear arms control in Iran, a historic framework for a nuclear deal has been reached.
Posted inColumns, Michelle Hiskey & Ben Smith
In letter to Atlanta boy, MLB manager urges help for minority players
As the Atlanta Braves open the 2015 season this week, 11-year-old Cole Deschenes-Worboy of Decatur was driven by curiosity in the history of his favorite sport. He followed his passion back to the Negro Leagues and ended up with a surprise message from major league manager Lloyd McClendon about minorities in baseball.
Posted inColumns, Main Slider, Michelle Hiskey & Ben Smith
Atlanta Bucket List: Sunrise Hike on Easter Sunday
Hiking Stone Mountain for the Easter sunrise service takes some planning and discomfort, but it is a spectacular annual event unique to our city.
If it’s on your bucket list, read on for tips on how to chalk it up this weekend—and why for 70 years, Atlantans have found it to be so memorable.
Posted inColumns, Main Slider, Saba Long
As more people move to the City of Atlanta, having quality parks is key
In route to a plenary session at Park Pride’s annual conference, I passed a small, Midtown residential building located a short walk from Piedmont Park with units starting at $750,000 – a pretty penny for a town home.
It seemed an appropriate sighting as I headed to a plenary session: Just Green Enough: Contesting Environmental Gentrification. The focus was on the natural challenges of sustainable, equitable development.
Posted inColumns, Michelle Hiskey & Ben Smith
“Class of ‘65”: The moral guts of a bullied middle child
On March 31 at the Carter Center, Greg Wittkamper will recount the reconciliation with his high school classmates in Americus who bullied and nearly killed him for living in a mixed-race community that gave rise to Habitat for Humanity.
The story forms “Class of ’65: A Student, a Divided Town, and the Long Road to Forgiveness” by noted Atlanta author Jim Auchmutey, scheduled for release next month.
Posted inColumns, Michelle Hiskey & Ben Smith
Crushed car windows beautify C Glass Jewelry
Corinne Adams’ artistic vision saw past the shattered window of her VW Touareg and admired the nuggets of safety glass scattered like diamonds on the ground. Today the Buckhead photographer and mixed media artist creates cuffs, earrings, belt buckles and more from the glass remnants of car crimes and misadventures. C Glass accessories convey a message of hope and redemption, and often are given to mark a loss or difficult life event, as a message that what is broken can become something beautiful.
Posted inColumns, Saba Long
Campaign begins to get Atlantans to vote on $250 million in bonds for infrastructure improvements
In one week, Atlanta voters will decide if the City will borrow $250 million in long-overdue infrastructure repair and upgrades via a bond referendum.
For context, last November, Forsyth County voters approved a $200 million to fund critical transportation infrastructure improvements. That vote likely will require a slight property tax increase.
Posted inColumns, Main Slider, Saba Long
As our region becomes more dense, we need more transit options
As someone who regularly takes public transit, I fail to realize how stressful it is to commute by car. This weekend served as an unfortunate reminder.
Not because of the person who failed to use signal lights when changing lanes – but rather the inordinate amount of time it took to get from point A to point B.
To be sure, the improved temperature was a factor on the Interstate and roadway congestion. But it wasn’t the primary factor.
Posted inSaba Long
Now is not the time to play politics with homeland security
Our divided Congress has once again found a new way to sink its already abysmally low approval ratings. The latest stunt: the possible shutdown of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Before the month’s end, Congress must pass an appropriations bill to prevent non-essential DHS staff from going home without pay. Secret Service, Border Patrol, active-duty Coast Guard members and other essential staffers will be required to work — without pay. Also trapped in the defunding web is more than 75 percent of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Posted inColumns, Main Slider, Michelle Hiskey & Ben Smith
For greater inner peace, sanctify your living space
When Lent begins Wednesday, so does six weeks of sacrifice that is supposed to help a person get closer to God. Another way there is to move your furniture. That’s what some Atlantans have learned through the course “Creating a Sacred Space in Your Home” at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church. Furniture, décor, lighting or atmosphere can serve as a portal to the individual’s peace, contentment, or positivity. “Your sacred space is where you can find yourself over and over again,” said comparative religions scholar Joseph Campbell.
Posted inColumns, Saba Long
Atlanta needs a planning leader to bring equitable growth to city
A city for all.
That’s what long-time Atlanta planner Mike Dobbins yearns to experience.
The resurgence of investment interest along with an improved economy has everyone chattering about the future growth of the city. Firmly ensconced in his second term, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed has become the economic development mayor by going back to the city’s roots – real estate deals and transportation.
Posted inMichelle Hiskey & Ben Smith
Simply abundant paper valentines and a bestselling author’s broken heart
Sending happiness and love on Feb. 14 begins for many of us in elementary school with decorated shoeboxes and signed valentines—sometimes handmade. Early this month, at a modest ranch house in Tucker, adult friends gathered —as they have many times since 1998—to make fun, one-of-a-kind valentines from sparkles and scraps. Inspired by the 1995 book, “Simple Abundance” (whose author had her own bad romance), the party is a throwback to turning paper and glue into a little something special, especially in the digital age.
