The City of Atlanta offers its condolences to the family of Mayor Shirley Franklin following the loss of her mother, Mrs. Ruth Lyons White, who passed away this morning at the age of 85.
She was born in Asheville, N.C., and raised in Washington, D.C. She later moved to Philadelphia where she raised her only daughter, Atlanta’s first female mayor, and eventually retired as an educator. She moved to Atlanta a few years ago, where she resided with her daughter.
She is survived by her daughter, Shirley Franklin; two sisters, Edna Rogers and Mildred Veney; three grandchildren; several nieces and other family members.
Because of her lifetime commitment to education, in lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made in her name to the Howard University School of Education; Office of the Dean; 2441 Fourth Street, N.W.; Washington, D.C.; 20059.
Yesterday Mayor Shirley Franklin announced that the City of Atlanta will begin a unique partnership to assist with growth and development in the city of Kumasi, Ghana, thanks to a $500,000 grant supplied by the World Bank.
The Kumasi-Atlanta partnership is the first-ever effort by a major U.S. city to pool its resources to assist a city in Africa. The City will partner with human-rights organization CARE and Georgia State University (GSU), among others, for this innovative and unique partnership.
Kumasi – which also has a female mayor – is the second largest city in Ghana with 1.4 million residents and is the transportation hub of the region. The World Bank chose Atlanta for this partnership because of the city’s unique mix of resources - a rich academic environment, a tradition of public/private partnership, and a proven track record in successfully addressing the challenges of rapid urban growth.
“I am pleased that the City of Atlanta is pairing with Kumasi, Ghana for this innovative partnership,” said Mayor Franklin. “Kumasi was a thriving city once, and is an older city. Atlanta is a very young city by comparison, and can learn from Kumasi how to retain our cultural history as we continue to mature. In addition to sharing our resources with that city, I am sure that we will derive new information and ideas on what makes a city great.”
Inaugural “Americas Competitiveness Forum” to be Held in Atlanta
Representatives from 33 nations will discuss free enterprise and investment at the inaugural “Americas Competitiveness Forum,” to be held in Atlanta on June 11-13, 2007.
In late November, U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez announced that the forum would launch in Atlanta. The forum is a direct result of President Bush’s recommendation to meet with leaders from each of the western hemisphere’s 33 countries to discuss improving the region’s competitiveness following the “Summit of the Americas” in November 2005.
Attendees will include high-level government officials from democratically-elected governments, private-sector representatives, non-governmental organizations and universities. Forum topics will include discussions on how regions can successfully compete in the global marketplace.
Atlanta was chosen to host the first-ever forum because of its commitment to competitiveness and its success in leveraging public-private partnerships to foster innovation and business development. Atlanta is home of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (HJAIA), the world’s busiest airport, and has the third largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the nation.
“Being selected to host the first Americas Competitiveness Forum speaks to Atlanta’s “open” doors,” said Mayor Shirley Franklin. “We know that the most successful negotiations are conducted in the spirit of friendship and mutual interest. We welcome our neighbors from Latin America and the Caribbean standing on the principles of civil and human rights which are Atlanta's heritage, and are resonant in the hearts of people worldwide.”
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Police Increase Presence, Offer Holiday Shopping Safety Tips
With holiday shopping season in full swing, the Atlanta Police Department (APD) has deployed additional officers in strategic areas to help suppress crime, increase police visibility, enhance the safety and security of residents and assist with traffic control.
Over 150 officers, who normally work in administrative or support functions throughout the department, will be re-assigned to this detail. These officers will work one day per week from now through January 1, 2007.
APD Chief Richard J. Pennington implemented the holiday detail program in 2002. Officers will concentrate on shopping areas and business districts that normally see an increase in crime during the shopping season.
For a List of Safety Tips While Holiday Shopping, visit http://atlantapd.org/press/06340holidaydetail.pdf.
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Brand Atlanta Merchandise Available at Macy’s Stores
Exclusive merchandise featuring Atlanta’s signature logo and tagline, “Every Day is an Opening Day,” is available at three metro area Macy’s stores.
Macy’s and Brand Atlanta have partnered to offer clothing apparel, accessories and home merchandise at Cumberland, Lenox Square and Perimeter Malls. Items include sweatshirts, polo and t-shirts, hats, key chains, umbrellas and stadium blankets ranging in price from $5 (ceramic glass) to $60 (men’s fleece hooded sweatshirt).
Proceeds from all sales will support the continuing efforts of the Brand Atlanta campaign, initiated by Mayor Shirley Franklin and the Atlanta Committee for Progress (ACP) in 2005. The campaign is driven by Atlanta’s legacy of “openness,” “opportunity” and “optimism.”
For a list of items for purchase, or to join the Team ATL mailing list to receive discount offers for Atlanta attractions, restaurants, cultural exhibits and events, visit www.ATLOpen.com.
Brand Atlanta merchandise is available for sale at metro Atlanta Macy’s stores. Proceeds from merchandise sales will support the Brand Atlanta campaign. |
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‘Tis the Season to Conserve Energy with the City of Atlanta
The City of Atlanta is partnering with Georgia Power, Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority (GEFA) and Energy Star to encourage residents and City employees to use energy-efficient sources of light this holiday season.
On Monday, December 18, the City will host the “Festival of Lights” in the City Hall Atrium and City Hall East. Georgia Power has donated 2,000 Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs to City of Atlanta employees. Each employee who signs a commitment to replace five (5) standard light bulbs with five (5) CFL bulbs will receive a complimentary CFL bulb at the festival.
CLF bulbs use less energy than standard bulbs, last longer and contribute to household savings. For every five (5) standard light bulbs replaced with CFLs, a household reduces its energy consumption by 60 percent and saves $60 in annual energy costs.
For more information about the City of Atlanta’s Environmental Green Team (EGT) initiatives, visit http://www.atlantaga.gov/mayor/greener_atlanta_102306.aspx.
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Delta Air Lines recently launched air travel from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to Johannesburg, South Africa and Dakar, Senegal. Delta is the only major network carrier offering direct scheduled service between the United States and Africa. Click here to go to our Video On Demand (VOD) webpage where you can find out more about Delta's international expansion.
This is just one of the many City of Atlanta videos you can view on the VOD page. Video clips include many of the programs you see on City Channel 26, like news conferences, groundbreakings and other events, as well as special programs that profile City departments and services.
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Rave Reviews!
- GE Energy recently joined the list of donors who have partnered to bring the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Collection to Atlanta. The GE Energy Foundation presented a $200,000 check to Mayor Shirley Franklin, who led the effort to bring the Collection to Atlanta. In addition, the GE Energy Chapter of the African American Forum launched an employee fundraising campaign for employees to contribute to the Collection. Earlier this year, Mayor Franklin secured a $32 million loan from Sun Trust Bank toward acquiring the Collection. For more information about the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Collection visit http://www.atlantaga.gov/media/kingpaperpage_100806.aspx.
Mayor Shirley Franklin accepts a $200,000 check from GE Energy on behalf of the Dr. Martin Luther King Collection papers. Mayor Franklin led the efforts to bring the papers to Atlanta. The collection was purchased with a $32 million loan from SunTrust. |
- The Municipal Court of Atlanta (MCA) has been renamed the “Lenwood A. Jackson Sr. Justice Center” in honor of the late judge, who served as an influential member of the traffic court bench for 13 years. Judge Jackson was appointed to the bench of the City of Atlanta Traffic Court by former Mayor Maynard Jackson. As a judge, he made the court more efficient by creating an arraignment system that significantly reduced the caseload. Judge Jackson was also influential in bringing the new traffic court building to fruition. His service to the state of Georgia also included positions as general counsel for the Atlanta Housing Authority; special Deputy Attorney General for the Department of Transportation; and associate attorney for the Atlanta Board of Education. Among the legal eagles at the dedication ceremony were MCA Chief Judge Deborah Greene; MCA Judge Calvin Graves and Judge Barbara Harris; Georgia Supreme Court Chief Judge Leah Ward Sears; Atlanta City Councilmember C.T. Martin (District 10); retired City Court Judge Andrew Hairston; and Bibb County Magistrate Court Judge William C. Randall.
A portrait of former Atlanta Traffic Court Judge Lenwood Jackson will hang in the recently renamed “Lenwood A. Jackson Justice Center,” formerly the Municipal Court of Atlanta. City of Atlanta Municipal Court judges, metro area judges and legal representatives and Atlanta City Councilmembers participated in the renaming ceremony. |
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Upcoming Events & Volunteer Opportunities
- In Atlanta, every day opening day … Holiday Friday Jazz at the High Museum, Friday, December 15, from 5 – 10 p.m. Listen to live music while you stroll through the High’s Louvre Atlanta exhibitions. Tickets are $15; free for members. For more information, visit www.high.org.
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Job Announcements
With the City of Atlanta’s online application system, you are able to create an account and select a Username and Password and then log in to your account.
After your account has been established, you can create an application by clicking on the “Build Job Application” link. Once your application is completed, it will be stored in the system and can be used to apply for future job openings. To get started by viewing current open positions, click here.
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Weekly Features
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