Four regional organizations – the Metro Atlanta Chamber, the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta and the United Way of Greater Atlanta – are collaborating on an educational effort called Learn4Life. The goal is to bring the eight public school systems in Cobb, Gwinnett, Fulton, DeKalb and Clayton counties to improve public education in the region.
Category: WABE
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Commentary: New YMCA should preserve Westside history
The YMCA of Metro Atlanta, the oldest nonprofit in the city, is leaving its home of more than 40 years in downtown Atlanta to go to the Westside. It is buying Jordan Hall with plans to demolish the building to build a Leadership and Learning Center that will offer early learning opportunities to Vine City.
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Commentary: Turner’s legacy in Atlanta won’t be forgotten
Police Chief George Turner will be retiring from his post at the end of the year – after spending 35 years with the Atlanta Police Department.
The news was met with sadness from the business-led Atlanta Police Foundation, the organization that has worked closely with Turner since he was made police chief in 2010.
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Commentary: Atlanta leaders ‘Sleep Out’ for the homeless
The Covenant House, a refuge for homeless youth, holds a unique fundraiser every year.
It invites community leaders to sleep outdoors so they can get a taste of what it’s like to be homeless. The fifth annual “Sleep Out” happened Nov. 17, when a hundred Atlanta leaders slept outdoors on the campus in Northwest Atlanta.
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Commentary: The transit divide widens with election
The Nov. 8 election produced a major win for MARTA. Nearly 130,000 Atlanta voters, or 71.34 percent, approved a half-penny sales tax to expand MARTA within the city limits.
At the same time, the city voted to increase overall transportation funding by a .4 of a penny sales tax.
This is in addition to the one-cent sales tax that the city of Atlanta has been investing in the MARTA system since 1971 – when Fulton and DeKalb counties also voted in favor of the regional transit system.
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Commentary: Marker Celebrates Atlanta’s Olympic Legacy
Original Story on WABE by Maria Saporta The Georgia Historical Society unveiled a historic marker at Centennial Olympic Park on Nov. 1 to commemorate the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. The marker is between the Olympic Rings Fountain and Marietta Street across Andrew Young International Boulevard from the Metro Atlanta Chamber building. The last sentence on […]
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Commentary: ‘Friendship Initiative’ bridging cultural divide
Two Atlanta business leaders have launched a new effort – the Atlanta Friendship Initiative – aimed at bridging divides in our community.
The idea is for two people of different races or ethnic backgrounds to agree to become friends. They pledge to see each other once a quarter and bring their families together once a year in fellowship.
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Philips Arena overhaul could include The ‘Gulch’
Original Story on WABE by Maria Saporta The $192.5 million renovation plan for Philips Arena could also include upgrades to land between Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Underground Atlanta and Centennial Olympic Park. According to this week’s Atlanta Business Chronicle, that includes what some call the “gulch.” The gulch is the property under the Georgia World Congress Center […]
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Commentary: Building material recycling center helps region
Original Story on WABE by Maria Saporta Back when he was working at the Southface Energy Institute in the mid-2000s, Adam Deck came up with the idea of creating a nonprofit that would recycle building materials, keeping them out of landfills. He started working on a business plan, but had a hard time getting traction. […]
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Commentary: Cartooning for peace integral to free speech
As part of France-Atlanta, an exhibition and program is being presented called “Cartooning for Peace: The of Art of Democracy.” Three world-renowned press cartoonists participated in the program – Jean “Plantu” Plantureux with Le Monde, France, Michel Kichka with Courrier International who is based in Israel, and our own Mike Luckovich with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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Commentary: Marcus Trauma Center ‘Destiny’ for Philanthropist
Grady Hospital dedicated the Marcus Trauma and Emergency Center on Oct. 5 in recognition of philanthropy of Billi and Bernie Marcus, a co-founder of the Home Depot.
In all, the Marcus couple have given a total of $50 million to Grady, which also went to the establishment of the Marcus Stroke and Neuroscience Center.
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Commentary: Fernbank Museum vision realized with expansion
Original Story on WABE by Maria Saporta – (Audio file not available) The Fernbank Museum of Natural History opened in October 1992 as a place where people could learn about their natural environment. On Sept. 24, the museum opened its doors with a $21.7 million expansion spotlighting the natural environment outside of the building. The […]
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Commentary: Momentum building for MARTA to Gwinnett County
For decades, Gwinnett County has had opportunities to join MARTA and build rail service, but voters have turned down every proposal so far.
Rev. Harriett Bradley missed her bus transfer to get from Norcross to Lawrenceville so she ended up taking Uber to get to the Sierra Club transit forum earlier this month.
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Commentary: ‘Roadbusters’ kept city from being a parking lot
Atlanta was divided from 1960 to 1991 – the road builders versus the road busters.
Plans existed to build Interstate-485 through the heart of Virginia-Highland and to build a Stone Mountain Tollway that would have cut through the Druid Hills community and the historic Olmsted Linear Parks on Ponce de Leon.
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Commentary: Perceptions about downtowns are changing
Original article on WABE by Maria Saporta More than 700 people from around the country descended on Atlanta from Sept. 7 to Sept. 9 to attend the International Development Association meeting at the Westin Peachtree Plaza. The event harkened back to 1977 – the last time the IDA came to Atlanta. At the time, Dan […]
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Commentary: Atlanta wins dispute over Hank Aaron statue
When the Atlanta-Fulton County Recreation Authority announced a deal to sell the 67-acre Turner Field property, it chose to make the announcement next to the statue of Hank Aaron hitting his 715th home run.
Although the Atlanta Braves will be moving to Cobb County after this season, the Hank Aaron statue will remain in the city.
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Commentary: Georgia’s a central city for global health
The Task Force for Global Health – the largest nonprofit based in Georgia – received a significant endorsement this month. The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation awarded the Task Force with its 2016 Humanitarian Prize – which comes with a $2 million grant.
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Commentary: The great loss of Piedmont Park’s magnolia tree
One of the most popular trees in Piedmont Park – a stately magnolia near the bridge between the two lakes – toppled over in late July when its root plate cracked. The city quickly cut it down because it posed a danger to the public.
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Commentary: Atlanta’s need for a Peachtree Streetcar
The city of Atlanta and MARTA are planning major transportation investments in two separate sales tax referendums that will go before voters in November.
If approved, both taxes would generate hundreds of millions of dollars a year for a myriad of improvements including expanded streetcar or light rail lines, improved bus services, new multi-use trails and road upgrades into complete streets.
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Commentary: Manuel’s Tavern Coca-Cola sign a Community Icon
Original Story on WABE by Maria Saporta Manuel’s Tavern is being refurbished inside and out. The Coca-Cola Company is restoring the painted Coke sign that has graced the tavern’s wall for decades. A hundred years ago, one of Coca-Cola’s top advertising tools was painting larger-than-life signs on the sides of buildings all over the country. […]
