By Maria Saporta
The City of Atlanta has a new sustainability director — Denise Quarles — formerly vice president of environmental affairs and director of business development in the energy division of Southwire, a Carrollton-based manufacturer of electric wiring.
In a release, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said:
“Denise comes to the city from the private sector with an outstanding track record of leading successful sustainability initiatives. I am pleased that
By Maria Saporta
A new organization — Better Georgia — is launching a statewide campaign beginning today, Dec. 1, to organize voters across the state who are disappointed with the current direction at the capitol.
Better Georgia specifically is focusing on Gov. Nathan Deal and leaders of the General Assembly and urging them to work on schools and jobs instead of political wedge issues, like immigration, which divide the state and make it unattractive to business investment and
By Maria Saporta
Efforts to get rid of Atlanta Housing Authority executive director Renee Glover are at a complete standstill.
That appears to be a total change of direction for the Atlanta Housing Authority board, which last month seemed intent on moving as quickly as possible to negotiate a separation agreement with Glover.
By Maria Saporta
Friday, November 25, 2011
The perception of downtown is rising, according to a new survey commissioned by Central Atlanta Progress and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District.
The perception of public safety has shown strong improvement with 69 percent of the respondents saying that downtown was either “very safe” or “somewhat safe.” In 2002, only 61 percent felt that way; and in 1996, that number was only 55 percent.
Thanks to a $3.1 million grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed has established an “Innovation Delivery Team” to work on improving customer service for city residents as well as to help reduce chronic homelessness.
Kristin Canavan Wilson has been tapped to serve as the new director of Atlanta’s Innovation Delivery Team. When Reed has spoken about establishing this initiative, he said he wanted to hire a “super star.”
One window into the challenge of creating a bioscience research center at the site of the closed Fort McPherson Army base is opening at Georgia Tech.
Tech is soon to start building a 200,000-square-foot bio-medical research facility on 10th Street, according to Tech’s capital plan. Fort McPherson intends to hire in February a master developer to help design the science and technology research center planned there, on 113 rolling acres.
By Maria Saporta
The current stalemate in Washington, D.C. between Democrats and Republicans is perhaps the worst situation for the economy, according to John Rice, vice chairman of General Electric and president and CEO of GE Global Growth and Operations.
Rice, who is currently based in Hong Kong, had been living in Atlanta as president and CEO of GE Technology Infrastructure. While in Atlanta, Rice became deeply involved in the
For nearly three years, SaportaReport has brought you closer to the issues and the diverse personalities that comprise our metro area. Beginning in January, we’ll bring you a little closer with “Moments,” a new column featuring an interview with and a one-minute video of famous and not-so-famous metro Atlantans.
We’ll ask each to share a moment in their lives when, suddenly, everything changed. As we catalog these moments, we hope they’ll add even more value to the mosaic of metro Atlanta stories our team of journalists is weaving on this website called SaportaReport.
By Maria Saporta
Living Room Inc., the leading provider of supportive housing services for people living with HIV/AIDS in Georgia, is expanding its service area to include the cities of Rome and Dalton.
Living Room, which has been serving metro Atlanta for 16 years, wanted to fill a need for a part of the state that was underserved. That 20-county area in northwest Georgia will now have access to services and programs that include
Sometimes it takes courage to do the right thing.
That describes MARTA and its general manager, Beverly Scott, and their brave venture to expose the good, the bad and the ugly inside its organization.
The most comprehensive external audit of MARTA’s operations and its entire system currently is underway.
By Guest Columnist BOB DREW, founder of EcoVie Environmental and chairman of Southeast Rainwater Harvesting Systems Association (SERHSA) and a board member of the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA)
After a summer of drought conditions in Middle and South Georgia, water levels in Lake Lanier are now close to the record lows established in the drought of 2007-2008.
USA Today reported on Nov. 11 that drought conditions throughout the South and Midwest have inflicted more than $10 billion in economic losses to the U.S. economy, a number projected to rise if dry conditions persist through the winter months as expected.
By Maria Saporta
Friday, November 25, 2011
It’s a tale of the two Woodruffs — a relationship that spans the past five decades.
The latest chapter of the tale culminated with a $15 million gift from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation to the Woodruff Arts Center as a “vote of confidence” in the cultural organization’s transformation in governance and financial management.
Could rats bring out the best in a restaurant?
That’s the crisis in an unexpected tail, er, tale of a neighborhood tavern in Decatur.
The owner spent 17 years attracting regulars with simple delicious fare, specialty beers and word of mouth. Melton’s App & Tap became an “everybody knows your name” watering hole.
By David Pendered
Three massage spas, nail salons or hair care shops are to open at Atlanta’s airport next year, the largest of them at the concourse that will serve the new international terminal.
The due date for bids was postponed from Wednesday to Dec. 14, following the city’s decision to throw out all of its original provisions that aim to help small businesses win a contract.
By David Pendered
Zoo Atlanta visitors will be able to feed giraffes from a terrace that is to open next Spring.
For a small fee, visitors will be able to feed romaine lettuce to the giraffes, said Nevin Lash, an Atlanta landscape architect who is designing the new terrace and approach ramp.
“It will be a great experience with a giraffe that has a 19-inch long tongue, which you don’t get to see unless it’s feeding directly in front of you,” Lash said.
By Eleanor Ringel Cater
In many ways, “The Descendants” is a descendant of “Terms of Endearment.” New terms and new endearments for a new century.
But some things are forever…like families and the bonds that not only tie but also choke.
By Maria Saporta
Friday, November 18, 2011
Southwest Airlines is sending a signal about its role as a civic player in Atlanta by accelerating and expanding AirTran Airways’ pledge to the Grady Health Foundation and Grady Memorial Hospital.
AirTran had made a five-year, $250,000 pledge to Grady in 2009, and it had already fulfilled $100,000 of that pledge when it was acquired by Southwest Airlines in May.
Southwest now is not only honoring AirTran’s pledge, but it is adding another $50,000 to the pot. It also is providing the entire gift at one time.
“AirTran did have this commitment to Grady, and we knew how important Grady is to Atlanta,” said Debra Benton,
By Maria Saporta
The Rotary Club of Atlanta could not have found a more fitting speaker for its Thanksgiving message than Bill Bolling, founder of the Atlanta Community Food Bank.
What the folks at Rotary did not know is that Bolling will be receiving the top honor from Georgia Trend’s 100 Most Influential Georgians in January, 2012. Bolling probably is the first nonprofit leader to receive the magazine’s “Georgian of the Year” award.
Bolling began his talk by giving thanks for our freedom and our ability to agree to disagree. He thanked Rotary for being “one of those containers that holds the energy” to make Atlanta a stronger
By David Pendered
First the lead Democratic consultant dropped out, then the Democratic communications director resigned.
Now, the campaign team is still taking shape as the clock ticks toward referendum day in just over eight months for the 1 percent sales tax to pay for traffic-easing projects and transit.
One constant of the campaign has been the leadership of a small group of consultants who worked together at the Republican Governor’s Association.
For decades, Atlantans have felt that they have had a secret formula to resolve differences among disparate folks and to create an economy where people can prosper.
A champion of this mindset is none other than former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young — a Civil Rights leader who went to Congress and later became the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under President Jimmy Carter. He then came back to Atlanta and served two terms as mayor.
Young was awarded the 2011 Ethics Advocate Award by the Center for Ethics
