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Posted inSaba Long

Peachtree Street becomes car-free zone during Atlanta Streets Alive

by Saba Long

There is something liberating about casually strolling down the middle of Peachtree Street as out-of-towners standing on the sidewalk gesture with an air of perplexity.

Rain aside, hundreds of Atlantans joined together this past Sunday to celebrate another Atlanta Streets Alive, the first on our city’s signature street – Peachtree.

From downtown to Midtown, families and friends walked, cycled and skateboarded up and down the street sans cars. Along the nearly three-mile route were food trucks, outdoor games and plenty of familiar faces greeting each other and sharing in the communal spirit of Atlanta Streets Alive.

Posted inLatest News

Second annual summit on global health helps solidify Atlanta’s role

Avatar photo by Maria Saporta

By Maria Saporta

An initiative to convene Atlanta-based global health organizations tackled the issue of world hunger Monday at an all-day summit at the J.W. Marriott in Buckhead.

In the second annual “Global Health Summit,” a host of government, nonprofit and business entities embraced a new approach to combat global hunger and malnutrition. Last year’s summit focused on global health and water.

Posted inMaria's Metro

Greater Houston may be bigger than the Atlanta region; but is it better?

Avatar photo by Maria Saporta

HOUSTON — As the delegation of 110 metro Atlanta leaders got off the AirTran charter plane in Houston on the morning of May 15, one of the flight attendants parting words were: “Everything is bigger in Houston.”

That line became a metaphor for the 17th annual LINK trip — an opportunity for regional leaders to view how other cities address their urban challenges to see how metro Atlanta can benefit from the experiences of others. LINK stands for “Leadership, Involvement, Networking, Knowledge.”

This column will focus primarily on three areas — the Texas Medical Center, Houston’s recent advances in public transportation and its dominant role in the shipping and logistics industry.

In each of those areas, there are lessons for metro Atlanta and Georgia — valuable comparisons of how we compare, compete and contrast.

Posted inMichelle Hiskey, Michelle Hiskey & Ben Smith

Mormons, African-Americans reconcile to seek family roots

by Michelle Hiskey

Sarah Jackson of Duluth was among hundreds of African-Americans who attended Atlanta’s Family History Conference, which emphasized African-American research, held May 18 at the Atlanta History Center. The event represented an ongoing reconciliation between African-Americans and the Church of Latter Day Saints through a common ground valued by both: family research.

Throughout much of the church’s history, Mormons considered African-Americans inferior to whites. In the mid-19th century Mormon leader Brigham Young said black people were marked by the “Curse of Cain.” It wasn’t until 1978—the year after Jackson’s visit—that the church reversed bans on African-Americans taking part in temple ceremonies and black men entering the Mormon priesthood.

Posted inTom Baxter

High school rankings portend a more diverse Georgia

Avatar photo by Tom Baxter

Speaking to the Georgia Republicans at their state convention Saturday about the  need to bring minorities into the party, Gov. Nathan Deal cited what he called a “shocking” statistic: 56 percent of students in the state's public schools aren't white.

Actually, you would have to live in a very lily-white enclave to be very shocked.

Considering the dramatic demographic shifts which have taken place in recent years and the fact that whites comprise by far the highest percentage of students attending private schools in the state, it's no surprise non-white students make up the majority in public schools.

But there's another statistic that many in the state might really be shocked by. In the recent U.S. News and World Report of the nation's public high schools, the top three schools in the state, and seven of the top 10, have student bodies in which whites aren't in the majority.

Posted inDavid Pendered

Metro Atlanta’s reputation at EPA: Bold plans revive former brownfields

by David Pendered

Bob Perciasepe, the acting administrator of the EPA, took about a nanosecond to recall the old Atlantic Steel mill near downtown Atlanta.

Perciasepe picked the area that now is Atlantic Station as his example of metro Atlanta’s national reputation for turning brownfields into vibrant communities: A place known to execute plans that are big, bold and game-changing.

Perciasepe’s choice is a reminder that efforts to clean up hazardous materials in metro Atlanta communities go beyond the Atlanta BeltLine. There’s a former smoldering landfill in Acworth that’s now Lakeside Marketplace; the Aerotropolis Atlanta development at the former Hapeville Ford Assembly Plant; and, just last week, the Proctor Creek watershed.

Posted inATL Business Chronicle, Maria's Metro

Innovation marked Atlanta Falcons stadium architectural competition

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By Maria Saporta and Amy Wenk
Published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on Friday, May 17, 2013

Five architectural teams competed for the highly sought after contract to design the new $1 billion retractable-roof stadium for the Atlanta Falcons.

Kansas City, Mo., firm 360 Architecture won the contract, partly for its novel and ground-breaking ideas on two retractable-roof designs.

But the four other architectural teams also presented worthy and unique concepts in stadium design. Some mapped out ways to connect the structure with downtown and the surrounding communities of Vine City, English Avenue and Castleberry Hill.

Posted inGuest Column

Georgia companies finding benefits in setting up teleworking programs

by Teresa Johnston

By Guest Columnist TEDRA CHEATHAM, executive director of the Clean Air Campaign

The recent decisions by Yahoo! and Best Buy to end their telework programs have kick-started discussions in workplaces across the country about whether flexible work arrangements are a viable business strategy.  Is telework on the way out?

The truth is that the companies at the center of this debate have made isolated decisions about what they feel is best for their particular situations. Their position is that a lack of proximity hurts the natural collaboration of employees at the office and inhibits innovation and the bottom line.

There’s also an underlying concern about the work ethic of teleworkers. This old-school mentality asks: “If employees are working and no one is around to see it, did they actually do the job?”

Posted inLatest News

President Obama becomes a Morehouse Man during soggy commencement ceremony

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By Maria Saporta

A rain-soaked crowd of thousands had been waiting hours when Morehouse College President John Wilson and U.S. President Barack Obama emerged from a side door of a building to enter onto Century Campus for the 129th Commencement of one of the nation’s most prestigious black colleges.

An enthusiastic cheer greeted the two presidents and the official start of the graduation ceremonies as they tried to ignore the return of the dark clouds and the rain. The thousands of people in attendance heard inspirational stories about the Salutatorian Ernest James Nelson from Albany, Ga. who will be going to the Medical College Georgia at Georgia Regent University; and Emmanuel Denyo Yao Adanu, a dual-degree graduate from Morehouse and Georgia Tech with a 4.0 GPA.

Posted inDavid Pendered

Obama at Morehouse College: Visit highlights groundbreaking report on HBCUs, challenges facing grads

by David Pendered

Almost overlooked in the discussion over President Obama’s commencement address Sunday at Morehouse College is a new report that breaks ground in the discussion of historically black colleges and universities.

The study, “The Changing Face of Historically Black Colleges and Universities,” reveals a disconnect between criticism and reality in terms of of graduation rates, as well as equity issues for students who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.

Obama’s introductory joke underscored the challenges facing today’s graduates: “I know some of you are graduating summa cum laude. I know some of you are graduating magna cum laude. I know some of you are just graduating thank the Lordy.”

Posted inMoments, Moments Season 2

Marine later found herself jobless and homeless – until Nobis Works put her back on productive path

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Tracey Jackson was a Marine with dreams of a career in medicine until she had an anaphylactic reaction that left her disabled, unable to work, and ultimately homeless. Tracey’s Moment with Atlanta nonprofit Nobis Works not only got her off the streets, it set her life on a new path of success.

Prior to her Moment, Tracey served in the United States Marine Corps, was scheduled to serve in the Gulf War and received a series of medical injections in preparation. Ultimately, she did not get shipped overseas, so she planned to go to medical school and, in anticipation of that, began studying nursing.

During her rigorous nursing classes, Tracey experienced an anaphylactic reaction that sent her into seizures. The unanticipated and severe reaction changed the rest of her life.

Posted inDavid Pendered

A Northern Arc by another name: Public process begins for widening of Ga. 20 from Canton to Cumming

by David Pendered

A crowd of 148 attended an open house Thursday night to toss their 2 cents into the conversation over the proposed widening of Ga. 20, from Canton to Cumming.

Call it what you will – Ga. 20, Northern Arc, Outer Perimeter, Outer Loop – the state intends to improve east-west access across Atlanta’s far northern suburbs. The open house was a step in that process and another open house is slated for Tuesday in Ball Ground.

Ga. 20 runs somewhat parallel to the Northern Arc’s proposed route and already has been expanded. Additional construction would enable to handle more vehicles. The state’s official position is that options range from doing nothing to doing something big.

 

Posted inEleanor Ringel Cater

‘Star Trek into Darkness’ — quality time with beloved characters

Avatar photo by Eleanor Ringel Cater

The most revered of all the “Star Trek” movies, “Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan,” hangs over “Star Trek Into Darkness” like a shroud.

Much of this, of course, is intentional. J.J. Abrams, whose successful reboot of the redoubtable sci-fi franchise was one of the more unexpected pleasures of 2009, stitches “Khan’’ pre-story into both the plot and the atmosphere of “Into Darkness.”

It’s not a bad idea for a second “Star Trek” movie; after all, those of us who date back to the original TV series have always recognized that “Khan,” aka, “No. 2” as the picture that truly proved the old gang were big-screen-ready.

By invoking “Khan,” with its memorable turn by Ricardo Montalban as a madman of Shakespearian proportions, “Into Darkness” means well. But it’s both muddled and over-thought-out. Everything means everything (except when it means nothing).

Posted inLatest News

As Houston’s population becomes more diverse, the region’s education and income problems intensify

Avatar photo by Maria Saporta

By Maria Saporta

HOUSTON — The largest city in Texas proudly claims to be the most diverse city in the United States — based on having the most even distribution of Anglos, Latinos, African-Americans and Asians.

But when one looks at the long-term implications of that diversity, it exposes some alarming issues for Houston. And those problems only foreshadow the challenges that the entire nation, including metro Atlanta, will face not too many years down the road.

That was the message that the 2013 LINK delegation of about 110 metro Atlanta leaders heard during their visit to Houston Wednesday and Thursday.

Posted inDavid Pendered

Atlanta to combat food deserts with portion of $30 million federal grant

by David Pendered

Atlanta’s food deserts are one of the problems that Atlanta’s development officials intend to address with a portion of a $30 million federal grant the city has received.

An incredible swath of Atlanta, generally located south of Buckhead, meets the definition a food desert, according to a mapping tool of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The definition boils down to access to food – distance from food stores and access to transportation.

Atlanta’s food desert program is to be one of the first such efforts in the country to be assisted through the New Markets Tax Credit program, which was started in 1994 by the Treasury Department to help fight blight and create jobs.

Posted inLatest News

Houston Mayor Annise Parker tells Atlanta LINK delegation that her city makes the impossible happen

Avatar photo by Maria Saporta

By Maria Saporta

HOUSTON – As mayor of the fourth largest city in the United States, Annise Parker said she is judged by what she brings to the table rather than by who she is.

Parker, now in her second term, is nationally recognized for being the first openly gay mayor of a major U.S. city.

But when Parker addressed a group of about 110 leaders from metro Atlanta Wednesday night on the 17th annual LINK trip at the Asia Society Texas Center, she was much more focused on how she has been able to lead the city of 2.2 million people.

Posted inATL Business Chronicle, Maria's Metro

Column: Kathy Keeley named new leader of disabilities group AADD

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By Maria Saporta
Published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on Friday, May 10, 2013

The nonprofit All About Developmental Disabilities (AADD) has named a new executive director just in time for Mother’s Day.

The new director is Kathy Keeley, who has been serving as interim executive director since last August of the 50-year-old nonprofit. AADD provides support services, advocacy and training to more than 2,000 individuals and families living with developmental disabilities.

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