There is a possibility of thunderstorms tomorrow morning, Wednesday March 19, and early afternoon in the Atlanta area. The City encourages all residents and businesses that have experienced damage to secure their tarps and debris to prevent further damage. More weather information can be found at www.weather.gov
The City of Atlanta and its partners continue an efficient, coordinated response to mitigate traffic congestion, clear city streets, and assess damages stemming from the tornado that swept through downtown Atlanta Friday night.
On Saturday, after daylight revealed the tornado’s true damage, Mayor Shirley Franklin signed a Declaration of Emergency, requesting state and federal assistance. Dozens of community, metro, state and national partners have assisted Atlanta as it continues recovery efforts. Partners are listed at the end of this report.
Government Agency Partners: Atlanta Fulton County Emergency Management Agency; Atlanta Housing Authority; Georgia Power; Atlanta Gas Light; Georgia State Patrol; MARTA; FEMA; GEMA; Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport; American Red Cross; Salvation Army; Atlanta Police Department & Sheriff Departments of Fulton and Rockdale Counties; Fire Departments from DeKalb, Cobb, Clayton and Gwinnett Counties; Fulton and Cobb Public Works; and DeKalb County K-9 units.
Community Partners: Kroger; Home Depot; Wal-Mart; Beulah Baptist Church; Hands on Atlanta; City of Denver, CO; City of Baltimore, MD; City of Seattle, WA; U.S. Conference of Mayors; Congressman John Lewis; and Senator Johnny Isakson.
City Provides Tax Assistance to Seniors, Veterans and Disabled Residents
The Mayor’s Office of Weed and Seed, Atlanta Workforce Development Agency (AWDA) and the Atlanta Police Athletic League (PAL) have joined forces with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Center to assist seniors, veterans and disabled citizens receive tax rebates as a result of the recently enacted economic stimulus bill.
According to the new law, an individual or family with at least $3,000 in income - including Social Security and veteran disability benefits – or that pays at least $1 in income tax, will receive a rebate check of at least $300.
Last Friday, Lt. Hendricks and Sgt. Ricks of PAL worked with the Mayor’s Office of Weed and Seed to coordinate the first visit. 24 seniors from the Palmer House were transported to the VITA Center, had their taxes prepared and electronically filed by IRS-trained and certified volunteers, then were transported back to the Palmer House. All but three were deemed eligible for the economic stimulus package. The City of Atlanta plans to serve many more seniors, veterans and disabled citizens throughout the remainder of March and April.
Residents are encouraged to contact the VITA Center, Site Coordinator, Phinda Traore at 404.880.7234 or via email at ptraore@atlantaga.gov for more information and to schedule pick-ups for their seniors.
The VITA Center will continue to offer free tax preparation to individuals, families, or married couples whose households earned less than $39,000 in 2007. The VITA Center is located at 818 Pollard Blvd., Atlanta, GA, 30315. The Center is open Monday-Friday, 9:00 am-6:00 pm and Saturday, March 22, 2008 from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm.
VITA volunteer, Terra Seaborn, assists seniors in gathering documents as they prepare to get their taxes completed. |
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‘Water Smart’ This Summer with Tips from Watershed Management
The Department of Watershed Management (DWM) will host Water Smart: An Outdoor Water Use Efficiency Workshop on Friday March 28 from 8:30 am – 2 pm at the Atlanta Civic Center.
Workshop topics will include: Irrigation systems; Greenroof Design; Caring for your trees in a drought; Use of organic material in a sustainable landscape; Turf maintenance; Rain barrels; and Online certification classes.
Who should attend this event? Atlanta’s irrigation customers; landscape professionals; large commercial water users; residential customers; and anyone who is interested in maintaining a beautiful landscape in a drought.
This workshop is free and open to the public. RSVP at 404.546.1265 or mmcmichael@atlantaga.gov.
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Camp Best Friends Registration Now Open
Camp Best Friends – the City’s premier summer program facilitated by the Office of Recreation –began registration for the 2008 summer season yesterday.
“Learn and Play the Camp Best Friends Way” is available to over 2,500 youth ages 5-16 at various Atlanta recreation facilities. There are eight specialty camps and 15 day camps. Specialty camp programs include: therapeutics, golf, Camp Allatoona, tennis, track and field, and swim.
The 2008 season begins June 2 – July 25. Extended camp hours are being offered at four locations from July 28 – August 8. Fees for Atlanta residents is $30/week per child; $90/week for non-residents.
Residents and non-residents can register at the individual camp locations. For a list of locations - and extended camps – visit here.
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City officials came together at the Atlanta-Fulton County Emergency Operations Agency to give an in-depth update on recovery and clean up efforts following Friday’s torrential storms. Click here to go to Video On Demand (VOD) webpage where you can watch the news conference.
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Rave Reviews!
- The Center for Civil and Human Rights (CCHR) Partnership have released “In Their Words: Andrew Young on Auburn Avenue,” an original podcast to guide walking tours along downtown Atlanta’s historic corridor. Over the course of the 45-minute audio tour, former Atlanta mayor, U.N. Ambassador and civil rights leader Andrew Young shares his personal experiences during the Civil Rights Movement while retelling some of the rich history of Auburn Ave. The free podcast is available to download at www.cchrpartnership.org or iTunes.com, or it can be accessed via phone by calling 408-794-3709 and pressing 1#. For more information on the initiatives of the CCHR, visit www.cchrpartnership.org.
- The City of Atlanta’s annual Women’s History Month Celebration gathered together female leaders in government, media, and academia including keynote speaker Dr. Julianne Malveaux, scholar and president of Bennett College for Women. The City’s 2008 event “Women and the Art of Government” was presented by the Department of Human Resources and honored female employees who have gone above and beyond, raising their level of service to an art form.
Mayor Shirley Franklin joins Julianne Malveaux, scholar and president of Bennett College for Women, at the City’s annual Women’s History Month celebration. |
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Upcoming Events & Volunteer Opportunities
- On Saturday March 22 from Noon – 6 pm, City of Atlanta Perkerson Park will host its Annual Easter Egg Hunt. Perkerson Park is located at 770 Deckner Avenue, Atlanta, 30310. For more information, call 404.756.1859.
- On Saturday March 29 from 8-9 pm, Atlanta will make a bold statement in support for global action on climate change by joining more than 20 cities worldwide for Earth Hour 2008. For one hour, residents and businesses are encouraged to turn off all non-essential lights. The message is that by working together, one person can make a huge difference. This event is being presented globally by the World Wildlife Fund. For more Information, Visit www.earthhourus.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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