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Posted inEleanor Ringel Cater

‘Jack the Giant Slayer’ – entertaining, imaginative – but not fantasy’s finest

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As fractured fairy tales a la Hollywood goes, “Jack the Giant Slayer” is better than most.

If anything, it reminds you of the Disney live-action adventures from the early 1960s. Movies like “In Search of the Castaways” and “Swiss Family Robinson” — only with a little more gore and a lot better special effects.

The picture begins appropriately with twin bedtime stories. In the royal palace, the Queen reads her little girl to sleep with the tale of how one of her long-ago ancestors defeated a gang of bloodthirsty giants who think humans taste just like chicken, only better.

Posted inATL Business Chronicle, Maria's Metro

New nonprofit – InBloom – may spark ‘edtech’ boom in Atlanta and Georgia

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By Maria Saporta and Douglas Sams

Published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on Friday, March 1, 2013

Atlanta is poised to become a hub for educational technology, says the CEO of a new nonprofit backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Atlanta Business Chronicle reported Feb. 5 that inBloom Inc. has chosen Atlanta for its headquarters. The nonprofit, which will provide technology services to schools as they race to meet new academic requirements, could help make Atlanta a center for a cohesive effort to accelerate student achievement in the United States by boosting personalized learning in schools.

Posted inLatest News

New deal for Atlanta Falcons stadium will address community concerns

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By Maria Saporta

An imminent agreement for a new Atlanta Falcons football stadium will include several assurances for the surrounding communities, according to Penelope McPhee, president of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation.

Arthur Blank, a co-founder of the Home Depot, is the owner of the Atlanta Falcons.

McPhee was one of the panelists at the Atlanta Regional Housing Forum program Wednesday morning on how to leverage large projects to bring equitable development to communities.

Posted inDavid Pendered

Police raids, building price lift veil on business district south of Five Points

by David Pendered

A string of narcotics arrests near Five Points last week, plus arrests for several outstanding warrants and the recovery of a stolen handgun, are among the latest examples of the challenges of sprucing up the city’s southern business district.

This section of downtown Atlanta remains a place of competing objectives. The planned billion-dollar redevelopment of the gulch and neighboring area may spark a restoration of Atlanta’s historic urban core, even as an underground economy seems to thrive in the current environment.

The pedigree of one building where drug arrests were made highlights part of the economic tension. The building was purchased in 2009 for a sum higher than may be expected in the recession: 175 percent of the value assigned by Fulton County’s tax assessors.

Posted inLatest News

Trees along state’s highways will be cut down if House Bill 501 passes

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By Maria Saporta

Tree lovers are alarmed over a bill that passed the House Transportation Committee Monday in a 7-5 vote that threaten trees located along the state’s interstates and limited access highways.

House Bill 501 will require the state to cut all trees along interstate and limited access highways that are tall enough to reach the highway. The bill uses the word “shall” — not “will” or “can” — but “shall.”

Posted inDavid Pendered

Atlanta’s $922 million fix-it list was $750 million when cited in 2008 report

by David Pendered

Atlanta’s next fix-it program is based on a report that reads like a “Guinness Book of World Records” of the city’s public amenities.

Ever wonder about sidewalks? Atlanta has 2,158 miles of them, and 395 miles are defective. Ever suspect that traffic flow could be improved if signals were fixed? The answer’s in the report. Recreation centers and playgrounds? They’re in there, too.

The report, issued in 2008, recommends the city borrow $250 million to start the repair program. Mayor Kasim Reed has landed on the same sum, and is considering a recommendation for Atlanta to borrow that amount of money this year.

Posted inTom Baxter

A pig squeals in Alabama, and Georgia gets the bacon

Avatar photo by Tom Baxter

There has recently been a dust-up over in Alabama which might have set our ears to ringing here in Georgia, had our ears not already been deafened by the clamor from Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Residential and commercial customers in Alabama pay more for their electricity than those in Georgia, even though the price of the fuel needed to produce the electricity is less there than it is here. According to a recent survey, Alabama Power customers paid $1.5 billion more over a six-year period than they would have if they could have bought the electricity from Georgia Power, even though both companies are owned by Southern Co.

And even though vast reserves of natural gas have been discovered in Alabama while Georgia is still prospecting for its first big strike, customers of the two largest natural gas utilities there are charged two to three times more in operations and maintenance costs than customers in Georgia or Mississippi.

Posted inLatest News

Rapid changes in technology presenting challenges for universities

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By Maria Saporta

Technology is changing so quickly that even Georgia Tech President Bud Peterson is having a hard time keeping up.

That’s what Peterson, who will celebrate his fourth anniversary at Georgia Tech in 27 days, told the Rotary Club of Atlanta Monday.

“I’m trying to keep up with the rate and pace of change in technology,” said Peterson, who envisioned that when he came that he would be able to catch up with all that was going on at Georgia Tech in his first few years. “Because of the rate of change, I think I’m losing ground.”

Posted inMichelle Hiskey, Michelle Hiskey & Ben Smith

For African-American women, a hairstyle can be a tricky decision

by Michelle Hiskey

For African-American women, unemployment is 12.3 percent nationally, 13.1 percent in Georgia. That tough reality helped draw more than 100 black women to an event last week at Georgia State University focused on one decision that each of them faces:

What to do with my hair?

For them, preparing for a job interview or the first day of work isn’t as simple as deciding whether to go with the regimental blue-striped or the red power tie. Around the country, disputes over African American female hairstyles have led to accusations of wrongful firings and discrimination lawsuits.

Atlanta is where people notice, too; for example, TV news viewers spent decades obsessing over local anchor Monica Kaufman Pearson’s changing ‘dos.

Posted inATL Business Chronicle, Maria's Metro

Muhtar Kent: Coca-Cola a bridge between world and Atlanta

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By Maria Saporta

Published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle on Friday, March 1, 2013

As the top executive for The Coca-Cola Co., Muhtar Kent may be the most global CEO working for the most global company in the world.

It is a role Kent takes seriously. As Coca-Cola’s CEO for nearly five years (his anniversary will be in July), Kent has continued to expand the company’s business and social impact on the world.

Posted inLatest News

Francophonie Festival and France-Atlanta building closer ties among us

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By Maria Saporta

They’ve become the French bookends in Atlanta.

From March 16 through March 26, Atlanta will hold the 14th Atlanta Francophonie Festival — a multicultural event geared to all the cultures in the world where French is spoken — 57 countries in all.

And the Consulate General of France announced last week that it is bringing back France-Atlanta. The fourth annual high-level exchange between France and Atlanta will take place between Oct. 23 and Nov. 10. The theme is: Together Towards Innovation.

Posted inMoments, Moments Season 2

Raymond King’s Moment in the doctor’s office led him to leave bank, lead Zoo Atlanta

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By Chris Schroder

Zoo Atlanta President and CEO Raymond King remembers the Moment the doctor looked him in the eye and said, “You’ve got lymphoma.” Today, he looks back on it as a blessing.

“I often joke with people that if you can be guaranteed of surviving it, then I would recommend cancer to you because of what it does to your outlook on life and how it allows you to see how blessed you are,” Raymond said.

Posted inMaria's Metro

Affordable housing developer, PRI, going out of business after 25 years

Avatar photo by Maria Saporta

The demise of Progressive Redevelopment Inc. — once the largest nonprofit owner and developer of affordable housing in the state — is a sad commentary of our times.

Specifically, it points to the nearly insurmountable hurdles that exist to provide supportive housing to those with the greatest needs — especially during trying economic times.

A reflective Bruce Gunter, one of PRI’s co-founders and its CEO, is now working without a paycheck, expecting to phase out what’s left of the organization within the next six months.

Posted inDavid Pendered

Stadium deal offers Atlanta biggest opportunity since airport concessions contracts to shape social policy

by David Pendered

Atlanta’s role in funding the proposed Falcons stadium provides Mayor Kasim Reed and the Atlanta City Council with their biggest opportunity since the airport concessions contracts to shape social objectives through public investments.

With the city’s airport contracts, the city strongly encouraged joint ventures and required a minimum of 36 percent of contracts be awarded to disadvantaged businesses. In another example of tightly drawn requirements, a group of restaurant contracts required specific types of food to be served – food unique to the American South.

Posted inGuest Column

Georgia’s green building lead at risk as state sides with forestry industry

by Teresa Johnston

By Guest Columnist DAVID FREEDMAN, executive director of the U.S. Green Building Council, Georgia Chapter

Can the forestry industry and the green building industry co-exist in Georgia?

Most Georgians would think the answer to this question is, “yes.”

Both industries support protecting natural resources, clean water and clean air; preserving green space; utilizing local building materials and creating jobs.

Posted inEleanor Ringel Cater

‘Dark Skies’ – thriller shows originality then disappoints; final Oscar thoughts

Avatar photo by Eleanor Ringel Cater

Any movie that begins with a quote from Arthur C. Clarke means to be taken seriously.

And for much of “Dark Skies,” that respect is earned. So much so that I’m a bit surprised the studio did so little to market it. Not even one of those garish nightmares called “word of mouth” screenings.

Like the best haunted house movies — which this is not; remember Clarke is a sci-fi guy — “Dark Skies” works through suggestion, misdirection and just enough shocks to keep you on your toes.

Posted inLatest News

Ray Anderson Foundation gift to set up Georgia Tech sustainability center

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B y Maria Saporta

The legacy of Ray Anderson, a corporate champion of sustainability, will live on at Georgia Tech.

The Ray C. Anderson Foundation has awarded a $750,000 grant to Georgia Tech to establish the Center on Business Strategies of Sustainability (CBSS) within the Ernest Scheller Jr. College of Business.

The new program will be developed by Dr. L. Beril Toktay, operations management professor and Brady Family Chair at the Scheller College of Business.

Posted inDavid Pendered

Organized opposition emerges to MARTA’s proposed restructuring, privatization of some jobs

by David Pendered

Opponents of the expansive legislative proposal to remake MARTA’s governance structure and privatize jobs took to the streets Thursday and say they collected about a thousand signatures supporting their view.

The protest movement now consists of three entities: MARTA’s union; the national union office in Washington, D.C.; and Georgians for Better Transit.

The transit group is a state affiliate of Americans for Transit, of which former MARTA GM Beverly Scott serves as a director. The national group’s website says it is a grassroots group of transit riders and advocates who seek to secure transit funding.

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