Fresh Loaf

Shells ready for launch in the upper parking deck at Lenox Square Mall. The fireworks will be set off tonight starting at 9:30 p.m.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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1) Happy Fourth of July!

2) Van Hunt performs at Apache Cafe.

3) The Peachtree Road Race returns for another year.

4) Carbonas, Predator and more play the B Jay Womack funeral benefit at 529.

5) Reclaim Independence Day at the Five Spot.

See more Atlanta events.

(Photo by Flickr.com/Chris J)

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WISHFUL THINKING: An officer saw a man on the Freedom Parkway ramp to I-75/85. The man reportedly was walking back and forth, asking for money from drivers. Apparently, as the officer circled around, the man moved to the Ellis Street ramp. “[He] had previously fled from me into the Auburn Avenue area, so I snuck up behind him and took him into custody without incident,” the officer wrote. “[The man] said I must be following him and that his uncle in the FBI was watching traffic cameras in the area, so once Mayor Shirley Franklin was fired for ‘taking that money’ all the police would be fired and they would close the jail.” The officer arrested the 49-year-old man and he “was transported to jail, which remains open.”

Continue reading the Blotter

(Illustration by Tray Butler)

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The Carnivores and Dan Sartain joined the Black Lips in celebrating the Earl’s 10th anniversary on July 2.

See more photos from the Black Lips concert.

(Photo by Matt Miller)

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1) Haverty Marionettes’ As I Lay Dying continues at the Alliance Theatre.

2) Judi Chicago and Noot d’ Noot play Smith’s Olde Bar.

3) Georgia WAND holds Patriots for Peace at Colony Square.

4) Dale Jones performs at the Punchline.

5) Eyedrum hosts WRASfest with Zoroaster, Spooks and Thy Mighty Contract.

See more Atlanta events.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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Well, not quite yet, but Michael Wagoner, president of the Berkeley Park Neighborhood Association, tells me that their local station at 1545 Howell Mill Road is scheduled to reopen on Thursday, thanks to Monday’s approval of a $541 million city budget that included a 3-mill tax increase.

Station 23 was ordered closed by Mayor Franklin late last year as city revenues continued to dip. The administration said then that the closure was temporary, but that didn’t seem to satisfy the neighbors, who gathered hundreds of signatures to persuade the mayor to re-open the station.

Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran laid out the benefits of the tax hike in an e-mail to Wagoner:

For citizens, the measure restores services that were reduced or eliminated due to furloughs by restoring personnel to normal work hours and work schedules. Atlanta Fire Rescue will have the capacity to staff Engine 23 and Truck 12. For employees, the tax increase benefit will restore 10 percent of their salary, which is a tremendous blessing and morale booster during these tough economic times.

Continue reading “Fire Station 23 is back, baby!” »

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Environmental news site Grist has an interesting post today questioning whether the controversial parking deck in Piedmont Park is as “green” — or LEED-certified — as its proponents have claimed.

But the pro-parking deck forces point to its green attributes, and even named it “SAGE”—for Safety Access Greenspace and Expansion. Per the Conservancy’s website, the garage was built to LEED standards, with shaded areas for cars to reduce heat island effect; increased access to the park for visitors; a “virtually invisible” structure within several years, when the potted trees finally blossom; special parking spots for hybrids and such; a top-level bike rack; and rainwater capture to irrigate the gardens.

Hm. Other than the last two ingredients, pretty much none of its touted green factors are particularly green, nor are they part of the LEED system. In fact, the U.S. Green Building Council has no record of the SAGE parking facility—it was neither registered (the first step toward certification) nor certified. And a parking garage isn’t eligible for LEED certification—a building, says Scot Horst, senior vice president of LEED, must have at least one resident to even be considered.

Foes of the parking deck weren’t mollified by the LEED claims—“Putting trees in pots on a concrete monstrosity didn’t transform the essential nature of the beast,” says [Friends of Piedmont Park board member Jack White]—but the even more troubling thing, at least to the folks who oversee LEED, is the misuse of their carefully crafted system. LEED has endured a lot of criticism in its 13-year history—for being too complex, not accounting for regional differences, costing too much to achieve, etc.—and has responded with a user-friendlier version, dubbed LEED 3.0, this year. But, says Horst, if a project isn’t officially certified, “you have no idea what [developers] mean” when they use the term. (The Piedmont conservancy did not return email requests for comment.)

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Erick Erickson, editor of Peach Pundit and RedState, has gotten all Lawnmower Man up in this and rappelled into the darkest depths of the Internet to do some good-ole fashioned sleuthing.

Erick Erickson

For several days, Erickson’s had a sneaking suspicion that someone close to state Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine has been vandalizing Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel’s Wikipedia entry. Handel and Oxendine are considered front runners in the race that’s still more than a year away.

A few readers — some of whom it’s safe to assume are supporters of Das Ox — questioned Erickson’s motives. (It’s worth noting that he’s a fan of Handel.) But now he’s uncovered some more evidence.

So while I realize the Oxendine supporters will use this as a forum to go after me again for daring to speculate based on the circumstantial evidence at the time, as the Oxendine campaign seems intent on doing, the Oxendine campaign is not out of the woods by a long shot.

I now have the IP address from which RomneyGingrich12 made the changes to Karen Handel’s biography.

That IP address is a State of Georgia IP address that, I understand, connects from the Sloppy Floyd building. Unfortunately, it is also my understanding that it is pretty difficult to tell from there which computer, in fact, uses that particular IP address or it may rotate.

Read a list of more clues over at Peach Pundit.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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Ivory Young

One says she’s had trouble sleeping because of anonymous threats. Another received a nasty phone message described as “the most disgusting, vulgar thing I’ve ever heard.” Others have gotten e-mails labeling them the “Hate Eight.”

Yes, the eight Atlanta City Council members who voted Monday to approve a 3-mill property tax increase have been reminded over the past few days that, no matter how sincere your intentions, you can’t please everybody.

For weeks now, most of the folks who voted for the tax hike — Carla Smith, Ivory Lee Young, Jr., Natalyn Archibong, Anne Fauver, Felicia Moore, C.T. Martin, Joyce Sheperd and Ceasar Mitchell — have said most constituents indicated a willingness to pay more in taxes in return for an end to police furloughs.

With the city bean-counters expecting only $490 million in annual revenues — down from nearly $650 million a couple years back — the alternatives to a tax increase, according to Mitchell, would’ve been cutting back on weekly trash pick-up, eliminating the recycling program, closing more rec centers and parks or, perhaps, additional employee furloughs.

But now the Eight are catching hell from people whose top concern was higher taxes.

Once the dust settles on the vote and the hate mail subsides, Council members agree, the newly un-furloughed city workers are going to need to step up their game in order to meet heightened taxpayer expectations.

“There can be no excuses now for poor service delivery,” says Young. “From here on, it’s zero tolerance for mediocrity.”

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The race to represent Morningside, Druid Hills, Virginia-Highland and Midtown residents at City Hall gets bigger by the week.

The Southern Voice reports that Miguel Gallegos has officially entered the contest, joining Liz Coyle, Alex Wan and Steve Brodie. Councilwoman Anne Fauver has said she would not seek a third term in office.

We’re hearing another potential candidate has been seen handing out campaign information in Piedmont Park. That mystery person hasn’t officially filed their papers yet. When she does, however, be prepared for this race — which is already spinning with political dynamics — to get even more interesting.

Gallegos, who the Voice reports is openly gay, doesn’t have a website just yet. Hey, Miguel! Send us a line sometime!

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Much like its subsidiary Georgia Power did under the Gold Dome with its controversial Plant Vogtle bill earlier this year, Atlanta-based Southern Co. has cranked up production in its lobbyist factory and ordered more than 60 well-dressed foot soldiers to march through the halls of Congress.

Their mission: Twist lawmakers’ arms about the global warming bill that last week narrowly passed the House and is on its way to the Senate.

From the Center for Public Integrity:

Southern Company, the nation’s largest electric power generator, also had the largest force of lobbyists among the hundreds of businesses and interest groups that were seeking to influence the landmark climate change legislation that just passed the House.

With 63 lobbyists, the Atlanta-based energy giant had nearly twice as many climate lobbyists as any other company or organization, according to registration statements filed with the Senate Office of Public Records for the first quarter of 2009. (The second quarter filings won’t be available for a few weeks.) Eleven of Southern’s climate representatives were in-house, while the rest came from a dozen different lobbying shops.

It’s for good reason, too. The center reports that “more than 80 percent of the 200 million megawatt hours of electricity [Southern Co.'s] plants generate annually is fired by fossil fuel — the main source of greenhouse gases.” Should the bill pass, it could greatly impact Southern Co.’s — and in the process, your — bottom line.

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• There goes the good news: Job losses rise in June as unemployment hits 9.5 percent.
• We pull out in one place, we push in the other: U.S. marines press Taliban fighters in Afghanistan in a new offensive.
• Sad way to go: A French probe concludes Air France flight 447 crashed “almost vertically” into the water.
• Instigatin’: North Korea reportedly test fires four missiles.
• Apparently, Saddam’s WMD bluff was aimed at Iran.
• European scientists have developed a swine flu vaccine.
• Forget bagel Friday, how ’bout nekid Friday: Staff members at a design firm in Newcastle, England worked one full day in the buff in order to “boost” morale.
• Don’t forward the kiddie pr0n: The GBI issued a warning about a suspicious email circulating that may contain child porn, and in turn, incriminate people that open it.

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U.S. Rep. Michelle Bachmann, R-Minn., recently said she’d protest the upcoming census survey by only filling out the number of people who lived in her household. (Bachmann said ACORN, which is a census “community partner,” wanted to eat her home. She was wrong. Earlier this week the Libertarian Party’s DeKalb County party issued a press release in support of Bachmann’s stance.)

U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Uppity, and some fellow elephants are asking their cosmos-dwelling colleague to come back to Earth.

From the Washington Post’s Federal Eye blog:

Republican colleagues have now called her boycott illogical and illegal.

“Every elected representative in this country should feel a responsibility to encourage full participation in the census. To do otherwise is to advocate for a smaller share of federal funding for our constituents,” Reps. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.) and John Mica (R-Fla.) said in a statement. The trio is members the House Census Oversight Subcommittee.

They argue that her boycott only increases the likelihood of political interference, because Census staffers and volunteers would have to visit her home to do a followup interview.

“Anyone who completes and returns their census form will remove any need for a census taker to visit their residence,” the group said.

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As we collectively honor/ogle Michael Jackson, it’s worth noting the pervasiveness of MJ’s influence as a performer was not always a good thing. For every Filipino prison “Thriller” or “Dance Raja Dance”, there’s probably dozens of these:

For the impatient, the explosion of MJ-ness arrives at the two-minute mark.

(Thank you @Kltpzyxm. By which I mean, no thank you.)

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1) The Black Lips perform for the Earl’s 10th Anniversary.

2) The Mano a Mano Art Show at the Five Spot features art by more than 20 artists and performances by Clan Destined and DJs Nervex and Osmose.

3) Beards of Comedy perform at Laughing Skull Lounge.

4) T-Model Ford plays Smith’s Olde Bar.

5) The Affordable Art Show opens at Alan Avery Art Company.

See more Atlanta events.

(Photo courtesy Black Lips)

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The Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless has met a court-ordered deadline for making a $15,000 payment to its wildly delinquent water bill — kind of.

A Fulton County judge last Tuesday ordered the city to reinstate water service to the huge Peachtree-Pine homeless shelter, on the condition that the Task Force pay its April and May bills by June 30.

According to Department of Watershed Management spokeswoman Janet Ward, the group dropped by on Friday with a check for $1,000. Then, yesterday, they sent over another check for $13,809.82, which left them short. Finally, today, they brought a third check for the final $190.18.

So, could the city have shut off the water again last night, when the Task Force still owed a couple hundred bucks?

Continue reading “Homeless shelter pays its water bill” »

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The biggest story on AJC.com main page today is a report about Georgia’s high rate of obesity.

John Robinson (known to many ’round these parts by as Gnosis) spotted elsewhere on the same page a possible explanation for our state’s collective girth.

Click to enlarge.

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OK, that may be a little over-dramatic, but it’s essentially true.

Two days ago, the City Council passed a $541 million city budget for fiscal year 2010 —  beginning, well, today, actually — which is $100 million less than the $640 million budget adopted in 2007. Now, that comparison is a little misleading because the FY2008 budget was based on some rather hinky accounting. Still, the city had to do a lot of heavy lifting to cut the budget down to $541 million, including staff layoffs, employee furloughs and a 3-mill tax hike.

Perhaps you’ve heard something about this. Well, what you likely hadn’t heard much about is a re-amortization of the city’s pension obligations, a provision buried within the budget.

I don’t mean to suggest anything sneaky about the action. It was certainly discussed at length in meetings that were open to the public, if poorly attended. But it was somewhat controversial among Council members because it carries a certain financial risk.

Continue reading “Atlanta budget contains pension time-bomb” »

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This photo was taken on June 26, just before noon at the Fountain of Rings in Centennial Park. It seemed like almost every square inch of fountain space was spoken for as people tried to keep cool. It was entertaining to watch everyone enjoy the cooling blast of water from the fountains while trying to beat the summertime heat. This photo captures that fun of just letting loose and enjoying yourself on a hot summer day. More than once I thought about putting my camera down and joining them.

(Photo by Jeff Riley)

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Spurred by a Wonderroot initiative, on June 28 Atlanta artists gathered at Eyedrum to create more than a hundred art signs to be placed at 108 Beltline locations.

Check out more photos of the sign-making process and the requisite posting of the art signs all around Atlanta.

(Photo by Naomi Prindiville)

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A boat belonging to Cynthia McKinney (seen in this CL file photo) was detained by the Israeli Navy off the coast of the Gaza Strip.

• Not quite: Al Franken’s victory in the almost-never-ending Minnesota Senate Race doesn’t really give Democrats a filibuster-proof majority.
• Kerfuffle: Cynthia McKinney’s boat was seized by the Israel Navy as it approached the Gaza Strip with humanitarian aid.
• Mission Accomplished? As U.S. troops pull out from Iraqi cities (and Iraqi oil fields are opened for business), a huge car bomb kills 35 in Kirkuk.
• Old-fashioned coup: The Organization of American States (like the U.N. only smaller) threatened Honduras with suspension if it did not restore deposed president Manuel Zelaya.
• No porn and… no chicken? China expected to ban U.S. poultry imports.
• When California sneezes… The Golden State faces tough budget choices as revenues evaporate due to the recession.
• Oh the humanity: Paleontologists brought to tears, laughter as they visit creationist museum.
• If you’re not using FireFox, we need to talk: Version 3.5 is a vast improvement over an-already awesome web browser.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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A new AP report on census figures shows Atlanta is among the 25 fastest growing cities in the U.S.

The bureau found the population shifted from 520,368 persons in July 2007 to 537,958 in July 2008, about 3.4 percent.

We’re all so accustomed to gridlocked traffic and construction cranes that “Atlanta is growing” doesn’t seem like news.

It is.

Remember, despite the metro area’s half century of uninterrupted rapid growth, City of Atlanta lost population from the 1970s until the 1990s.

Also of noted: Last week the Atlanta Regional Commission released a report showing metro Atlanta is the second fastest-growing metro area in the country this decade after Dallas. By 2040, metro Atlanta is expected to be home to 8.3 million people.

Good thing local and state leaders are working so well together to meet our transportation and water needs.

(Correction: A previous version of this post incorrectly stated the 2000 U.S. Census showed a decline in Atlanta population from 1990. Here are the correct numbers.)

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Georgia roadbuilders — well, Marietta, Ga.-based C.W. Matthews, in particular — had something to smile about yesterday. Gov. Sonny Perdue, flanked by newly elected Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Vance Smith and U.S. Deputy Transportation Secretary John D. Porcari, made the smoggy skies rain with Obamabucks on Tuesday as he kicked off the Peach State’s first foray into stimulus spending.

On Tuesday state and federal transportation officials gathered in Hapeville to celebrate the first stimulus-funded road project to go under construction in metro Atlanta, a repaving expected to pump $940,841 into the Georgia economy.

The project is to pave 4.2 miles of Ga. Hwy. 3, a commercial corridor in Clayton and Fulton counties near Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Contractors said work is scheduled to begin Monday night.

C.W. Matthews scored the project because it is God.

Now, you can argue about the stimulus all day long. Hard truth though is that it’s here, so you best spend it wisely. And a new study by self-explanatory think tank Smart Growth America and its partners says, whoa, Georgia’s made some good choices in how it spends the cash.

The rest of the country? Meh.

Continue reading “Surprise! Georgia’s transportation stimulus spending better than other states” »

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1) Charis Books & More hosts Home Canning Demystified.

2) Beyoncé performs at Philips Arena.

3) Smoke on the Mountain continues at Theatre in the Square.

4) Il Divo performs at the Fox Theatre.

5) Tiny Vipers play 529.

See more Atlanta events.

(Photo by Flickr.com)

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That's Senator Smalley to you

You watched him on “Saturday Night Live.” You listened to him on Air America. You loved him in Stuart Saves His Family. OK, maybe not that last one.

But now comedian-turned-liberal-pundit-turned-politician Al Franken is finally going to join the U.S. Senate. Everyone knew he’d won the race months ago, but incumbent Norm “Douchebag” Coleman had been hanging on the seat by his fingernails.

Well, the NYT has just reported that the Minnesota Supreme Court today returned a unanimous verdict in Franken’s favor and that Coleman has conceded. It only took him seven months.

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