Home » Posts

Posts

Posted inLatest News

Atlanta is reviewing its festival policies in the city’s parks

Avatar photo by Maria Saporta

By Maria Saporta

The City of Atlanta is reviewing its festival ordinance and policies, according to George Dusenbury, commissioner of the City of Atlanta Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs.

A particular focus is Piedmont Park, the most popular gathering spot in Atlanta and usually the favored choice for any organization wanting to hold an event or festival in a city park.

Now that Music Midtown has announced that it will be resurrecting its festival at Piedmont Park, questions about the park’s use or over-use are resurfacing.

Music Midtown will make its comeback on Sept. 24 wit Coldplay as its headlining act. There also is a chance that a major artist will come the night before — turning the “new” Music Midtown in a two-day, two–stage event.

Posted inGuest Column

Taxes for infrastructure should be seen as investments

by Teresa Johnston

By Guest Columnist PHILIP CHENG, a graduate of the 2011 class of Emory University, wants to devote his career to helping remedy the world’s agricultural problems

People do not normally get thrilled when they hear the term “infrastructure.”

But fans of “infrastructure” — meeting at the recent Urban Land Institute Infrastructure Summit held at the Georgia World Congress Center — seemed to jump with excitement at the mention of the word.

Jeff DrFresne, executive director of the ULI-Atlanta District Council, believes that a better infrastructure means a better planet. Various speakers at the summit talked about the importance of having strong transportation, education and water resources.

Posted inMaria's Metro

Experts say transportation tax has better chance if vote is held in November, 2012

Avatar photo by Maria Saporta

As it currently stands, the vote on the regional transportation sales tax is scheduled for July 31, 2012.

But some people familiar with political timing and transportation referendums believe that holding the vote during the primary election will make it an uphill battle to pass.

That’s because most of the likely voters next July are expected to be Republican, conservative and suburban. And they tend to have more of an anti-tax attitude than liberal, Democratic and urban voters.

But several observers believe that the political dynamics would be totally different and much more favorable if the referendum were to be held during the general election on Nov. 6, 2012.

Posted inDavid Pendered

Future Wal-Mart, possible stadium and more foster hopes for renewal near Georgia Dome

by David Pendered

By David Pendered

A future Wal-Mart store and other civic projects are rekindling hopes for community renewal in a neighborhood west of the Georgia Dome in Downtown Atlanta.

The Wal-Mart is to open in the summer of 2012 in Historic Westside Village, a retail center located at 825 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. It’s located across MLK Drive from the original Paschal’s restaurant.

Wal-Mart is expected to bring more than decent groceries, a pharmacy, money center and jobs to the community, according to Tillman Ward, a community leader who was born in the neighborhood.

Posted inATL Business Chronicle

Hire One Atlanta hits 10,000 hires by 1,100 companies

Avatar photo by Maria Saporta

By Maria Saporta
Friday, July 8, 2011

The Hire One Atlanta campaign — a program to help improve Atlanta’s employment picture — has reached a major milestone.

Since March, 10,000 people have been hired by 1,100 local companies. Each week, the Atlanta Business Chronicle has been recognizing companies that have hired at least one new full-time employee. The list now fills the two-page centerfold of the weekly newspaper.

The initiative is a partnership between Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, the Metro Atlanta Chamber, the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, the Atlanta Business League and the SHRM-Atlanta.

Posted inEleanor Ringel Cater

Larry Crowne movie is Tom Hanks’ ‘big fat mid-life crisis’

Avatar photo by Eleanor Ringel Cater

By Eleanor Ringel Cater

I’m afraid I am part of the demographic who is supposed to be thrilled that Hollywood has tossed me a bone this summer.

To wit: the “adult” romantic comedy, “Larry Crowne,” starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts.

Lord. Gimme “Transformers 3” any day.

Based on an idea by Hanks and co-scripted by Nia Vardalos, star/writer of the inexpicable mega-hit, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” (which Hanks produced), “Larry Crowne” could be subtitled, “My Big Fat Mid-Life Crisis.”

Larry (Hanks, who also directed) is downsized from his job at U-Mart (read Wal-Mart or Target or whatever) and told the reason is, he lacks a college diploma.

Posted inDavid Pendered

Confidential business plan for Fort McPherson’s future now an issue with reuse plan

by David Pendered

By David Pendered

A new wrinkle emerged Thursday in the tense discussion about the fate of Fort McPherson – the contents of the confidential business plan that is to guide the fort’s conversion to civilian use.

The business plan is emerging as a contention because it has guided the redevelopment plan a state authority has approved for the fort’s land.

Over the past month, the redevelopment plan has come under fire from a non-profit group – Georgia Stand Up – that raises questions about whether the current plan will help or hurt the surrounding community.

Suddenly, the business plan that envisions construction of a biotech research facility near the center of the property is at the center of debate over how best to reuse a 488-acre site that the military is abandoning after more than 120 years.

Posted inLatest News

Atlanta’s music legend Alex Cooley reflects on ‘legacy’ and ‘new’ Music Midtown

Avatar photo by Maria Saporta

By Maria Saporta

Ever since the popular Music Midtown festival disappeared after the 2005 season, Alex Cooley wanted to bring it back.

Cooley, who was the inspiration and founder of the “legacy” Music Midtown, believed Atlanta’s music scene would never be complete without an annual festival that attracted both known and unknown artists.

“It’s very important for Atlanta to have a music festival,” Cooley said in a telephone interview on the same day that plans for a “new” Music Midtown was unveiled. “If you go back, I wanted this to be a festival that lasted for 20, 30, 40 years.”

Cooley is the true godfather of concerts and music performances in Atlanta. He literally introduced Atlanta to the national music scene, and vice versa.

Posted inDavid Pendered

Atlanta City Council votes against extending bar hours

by David Pendered

By David Pendered

The Atlanta City Council has again rejected a proposal to extend the drinking hours at bars in the city.

The vote clears the way for an effort to tighten the city’s alcohol ordinances. The goal of that legislation is to make it easier for Atlanta to close businesses that habitually violate the city’s alcohol codes and escape closure through legal loopholes.

The council has considered extending bar hours periodically since 2003, when the hours were shortened following several years of violent outbursts that were linked to late-night drinking.

Posted inATL Business Chronicle

Column: Metro Atlanta Boys & Girls formally names Missy Dugan as CEO

Avatar photo by Maria Saporta

By Maria Saporta
Friday, July 1, 2011

The board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta has named Missy Dugan its president and CEO after she had served as the interim head of the organization since January.

“After having worked with Missy over the last six months and observed her in the role, she has demonstrated continued strong leadership, management skills and passion to serve the children in our community who need it the most,” said Brent Wilson, the organization’s board chair who is a partner with law firm Elarbee, Thompson, Sapp & Wilson LLP. “It made the decision very easy for us.”

Posted inLatest News

Major music announcement Wednesday — could it be a return of Music Midtown?

Avatar photo by Maria Saporta

By Maria Saporta

Could it be? Music Midtown is coming back?

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed’s office issued a media advisory today that smells an awful lot like a return of Music Midtown. The title of the advisory: “Mayor Kasim Reed and Live Nation’s Peter Conlon to Make Major Music Announcement.”

A press conference is planned for noon at the W Atlanta Downtown, and the people involved will be: Mayor Reed; Conlon; president of Live Nation Atlanta; William Pate, president of the Atlanta Convention & Visitor’s Bureau; and Atlanta City Councilmen Alex Wan and Kwanza Hall.

Music Midtown was a popular Atlanta institution from 1994 to 2005 when it was discontinued because of losses it had incurred due to inclement weather and the scheduling of major expensive acts.

Posted inDavid Pendered

Atlanta City Council to vote Tuesday on proposal extending bar hours

by David Pendered

By David Pendered

The Atlanta City Council is slated to vote Tuesday on a proposal to extend the legal drinking hours at bars to 4 a.m. on Mondays through Fridays, and Saturdays until 2:55 a.m.

The council has been advised by its Public Safety Committee to reject the measure.

However, it’s a truism that the fate of any legislation is uncertain once it’s put before a legislative body. Especially a proposal that comes as a surprise after a holiday weekend – as is the case with this one.

Posted inLatest News

Roundtable remember: there are few options to fund transit

Avatar photo by Maria Saporta

By Maria Saporta

The next six weeks are the make or break time for the regional transportation sales tax.

On Aug. 15, the executive committee of the Atlanta Regional Transportation Roundtable will release its draft list of transportation projects to be included as part of the 2012 referendum.

For transit advocates, the critical issue will be whether a large portion of those projects will be for non-road and bridges transportation options. In short, they will be looking to see if the project list will include significant funding for transit, bicycle paths and sidewalks.

Posted inMaria's Metro

Public broadcasting in Georgia and Atlanta shines, but greater potential exists

Avatar photo by Maria Saporta

Against all odds, public broadcasting is alive and well in Atlanta and Georgia.

This is true despite the ongoing divide between the state’s two largest public broadcasting entities — Georgia Public Broadcasting and Public Broadcasting Atlanta (but more on that later).

Case in point: the recently-released documentary: “Margaret Mitchell: American Rebel,” shows how great local public broadcasting can be. The one-hour documentary was produced, directed and written by Atlanta’s-own Pamela Roberts.

“It’s a gift for the ages to Georgia,” said Teya Ryan, GPB’s president and executive director. “We don’t use any state money for production and

Posted inGuest Column

Georgia gets more time to work on water conservation; but water wars are not over

by Teresa Johnston

By Guest Columnist STEVE O’DAY, section head of environmental and sustainability practice group for Smith Gambrell & Russell

If you are sitting back thinking the most recent decision in the Water Wars means Atlanta’s worries are over, turn off that faucet and think again.

Last Tuesday, a three-judge panel for the U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a lower court’s 2009 decision that it was illegal for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (“Corps”) to draw water from Lake Lanier to benefit the metro Atlanta area and otherwise relieved Georgia from the “draconian” obligation to work out water issues with Alabama and Florida by July 2012 or be cut off from the reservoir.

Posted inATL Business Chronicle

Atlanta losing two top women executives

Avatar photo by Maria Saporta

By Maria Saporta
Friday, July 1, 2011

Atlanta has in recent days taken a few steps backward at having top women executives at some of its largest companies.

First, Suzanne Sitherwood, president of Atlanta Gas Light Co. and the first (and only) woman to chair the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, announced June 22 she has accepted a job to become president and then CEO of the Laclede Group, a natural gas holding company based in St. Louis.

Then Becky Blalock, a senior vice president and chief information officer with Southern Co., who has been one of the top women executives at the utility, announced June 23 that she will be retiring from the company at the end of the summer. She has been with the company 33 years.

Posted inEleanor Ringel Cater

‘Page One: A Year Inside the New York Times’ questions the future of the daily paper

Avatar photo by Eleanor Ringel Cater

By Eleanor Ringel Cater

About the only thing lacking in this heavily cosmetic-ized “insider” look at the great Gray Lady is a pair of breast implants.

Maybe that’s because there are so few women featured in the movie (though, to be fair, both females at the daily morning power meeting opted out of being interviewed).

Not that it matters much. “Front Page: A Year Inside The New York Times” is shameless hagiography poorly disguised as a we-can-take-it/warts-and-all documentary.

To begin with, you must accept the notion that the Times is something sacred: the Valhalla of print, the Light beside the Golden Shore.

Posted inLatest News

Transit advocates wonder if draft project list will have a “fair share” for riders, walkers

Avatar photo by Maria Saporta

By Maria Saporta

The mood was somber at the Fair Share for Transit reception — held Thursday evening at the Margaret Mitchell House in Midtown on the 75th anniversary of “Gone with the Wind.”

The coalition of 67 local organizations and groups is hoping that the region will invest in transit as part of the one-cent transportation sales tax that will go before voters in 2012.

“We are coming to a very critical juncture in this process,” said Ray Christman, executive director of the Livable Communities Coalition, the lead organization behind the Fair Share for Transit initiative.

Christman explained that by law, by Aug. 15, the region will have to issue a draft list of all the transportation projects that is to be included in the referendum.

Posted inDavid Pendered

Atlanta’s Beltline embodies healthy lifestyle envisioned by new sustainability group

by David Pendered

By David Pendered

A new organization in Atlanta met Thursday for the first annual EcoFest Sustainable Development Opportunities Forum.

The event kicked off with a morning-long driving tour of the Beltline, the sweeping urban renewal project in Atlanta that embodies many ideals of the new organization. An afternoon slate of speakers talked about green business opportunities, green efforts at Atlanta’s airport and energy efficiency.

Verdant Elements, Inc. is a non-profit that intends to foster healthy lifestyles through sustainable development and environmental strategies, said VEI’s board chairman, Gregory Wilson.

Posted inEleanor Ringel Cater

The late Peter Falk enjoyed a respectable and diverse movie career before ‘Columbo’

Avatar photo by Eleanor Ringel Cater

By Eleanor Ringel Cater

Before he found his perfect persona in a rumpled trenchcoat and a shambling manner…

That is, before he became world-famous as the TV detective, Columbo, Peter Falk had a strong movie career, which included two Oscar nominations for best supporting actor.

The first was for playing a homicidal thug in 1960‘s “Murder Inc.”

The second was for a light-hearted riff on the same sort of mobster in Frank Capra’s last movie, “A Pocketful of Miracles.”

Falk was headed toward becoming the Joe Pesci of his era — the go-to guy if you had a gangster role to cast, funny or murderous. Falk did play another bad guy — again, more of a spoof than a killer — in “Robin and the Seven Hoods” He was the villain to Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack.

Gift this article