Montreux Atlanta Announces 2007 Line-Up
The city of Atlanta will once again host the Montreux Jazz Festival – a free, genre-blending, musical event – on Labor Day Weekend in Underground Atlanta and throughout the city.
Montreux Atlanta will begin Friday August 31 through Monday September 3. This world-famous concert attracts regional, national, and global visitors annually to Montreux, Switzerland, where it originated 41 years ago.
Atlanta was the only North American city invited to host a Montreux Music Festival in partnership with the Switzerland festival. Montreux Atlanta 2007 will be the twelfth year that the city will present this event.
Festival Highlights:
- Free performances on three stages featuring R & B, Blues, Gospel, Rock and Jazz. Performers include Elizabeth Withers; Ledisi; Gordon Chambers; Chrisette Michelle; and Alexandra.
- Aretha Franklin in Concert at Chastain Park (ticketed event) on Saturday, September 1.
- The Blues, Bourbon and BBQ Boat Ride in Stone Mountain Park (ticketed event).
- The Montreux Club Crawl in Underground Atlanta.
- Open-air marketplace in Underground Atlanta.
“We are thrilled that Atlanta has been selected yet again to host this world-class musical event over Labor Day weekend,” said Mayor Shirley Franklin. “There is something for every music lover at this free, three-day festival, which incorporates varied and diverse musical styles.”
For more information on performances, or to purchase tickets to certain events, please visit www.atlantafestivals.com
Montreux Atlanta will be held Friday August 31 – September 3 in Underground Atlanta
Montreux Atlanta 2006 brought hundreds to Underground Atlanta to hear varied music, ranging from jazz, rock, R&B, blues and more. |
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HOME Atlanta Update: Renewed Funds, New Terms
The HOME Atlanta affordable workforce housing program will get an infusion of $35 million in Housing Opportunity Bonds this fall to be used toward homebuyer costs for those who wish to purchase a home inside the city limits.
HOME Atlanta provides low mortgage rates, grant money, and percentage discounts off the price of the home to homebuyers. HOME Atlanta was designed specifically for Atlanta’s workforce – those who work inside the city limits, but commute from other cities daily.
The program supports Mayor Shirley Franklin’s Economic Development Plan goal to make affordable workforce housing in Atlanta a reality. The program launched with $15 million in housing opportunity funds in May. Since then, more than 100 families have been able to purchase a home at an affordable rate.
New HOME Atlanta Policies:
- The down payment assistance amount provided to first-time homeowners is 10 percent of the property purchase price. This will allow the City to provide down payment assistance to twice as many people as well as preserve funds from the Housing Opportunity Bonds.
- The mortgage interest rate is 6.50 percent. This interest rate is a result of the real estate market movement. As the current market rate is 7.0 percent, HOME Atlanta participants will continue to benefit from the program.
HOME Atlanta is an ongoing program. For more information, please call the Atlanta Development Authority (ADA) at 404.614.8280.
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Mayor’s Youth Program Gives Students a Career Head Start with Summer Certification Program
Garbed in blue and white scrubs and surrounded by beaming parents and Mayor Shirley Franklin, 73 Atlanta high school juniors and seniors in the Mayor’s Youth Program received certifications in healthcare and information technology last week from Atlanta Technical College.
The summer certification program gives Atlanta students a head start on their career goals. It also introduces some to new career options. At the conclusion of the program, many graduates express interest in continuing their training at colleges and universities throughout the country.
In four years, the healthcare certification component has successfully trained 420 APS students as Certified Nurse Assistants, Patient Care Technicians and Pharmacy Technicians. In addition to their training, for nine weeks, students received weekly stipends, MARTA passes, scrubs and other equipment.
This year, Oracle Academy partnered to provide Information Technology instruction, with an emphasis on careers in the corporate business sector. Additional program partners include the Atlanta Workforce Development Agency (AWDA), which oversees the Mayor’s Youth Program, and the Atlanta Public Schools (APS). In addition to its youth programs, AWDA also provides career assistance to all Atlanta residents and hosts a weekly job fair. www.atlantaworkforce.org.
The summer certification academy was made possible through donations to the Mayor’s Youth Program, which assists APS graduates with the transition from high school to their next phase of life. Click here to read a profile on Academy graduates Keisha Page and Derek Franklin. www.mayorsyouthprogram.org.
Healthcare graduates, Rasoul Bland and Keisha Paige (seated) pictured with their parents, Delisa Bland and Judy Henderson. For more student success stories, visit www.mayorsyouthprogram.com. |
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Teens Play Pivotal Role in Health of Communities
The award-winning Mayor’s Office of Weed and Seed recently chaperoned six Atlanta teens to the fourth Annual Weed and Seed Youth Leadership Camp where they discussed how young people can positively impact underserved communities.
The Youth Leadership Camp was held on the campus of Stetson University in Deland, Florida, and included Weed and Seed affiliates from all over the country. Members of the Atlanta contingent were selected based on an application process that queried their ideas of leadership.
Throughout the four-day camp, attendees discussed a series of topics including Leadership, Rebellion, Action Plans, Job Etiquette/Search, Drug Use, Gangs, and more. Adult facilitators allowed campers to lead brainstorming sessions amongst their peers. Additionally, campers campaigned for positions on the Weed and Seed Youth Leadership Council.
“It was a joy to be able to take teen leaders from Atlanta to meet and share ideas with other like-minded teens from around the nation,” said Karen Rogers, Director, Office of Weed and Seed. “The lessons they learned, and people they met, will always remain with them as they progress through the lifelong work of improving and maintaining their respective communities.”
Atlanta’s Weed and Seed program has received raves for its innovative approaches to law enforcement, crime prevention and neighborhood revitalization. In February, Rogers traveled to Capitol Hill to share the City’s successful use of public-private partnerships to connect residents with income-enhancing benefits with lawmakers. Recent awards include the 2006 National Night Out “Rookie of the Year Award,” “Keep Students in Schools Award,” and a “Director’s Award” for Rogers.
For more information on Weed and Seed Communities of Atlanta, please visit here.
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A new high-end development is on the way to the Buckhead Village area of Atlanta, changing the face of a stretch of Peachtree Street once known for bars and clubs. A groundbreaking ceremony was held recently to announce the 800,000 square foot mixed-use community. Click here to go to the VOD page where you can watch the groundbreaking ceremony for “The Streets of Buckhead”.
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Rave Reviews!
- Today Mayor Shirley Franklin was recognized by the Atlanta Board of Education and Superintendent Beverly Hall for her vision to empower Atlanta Public Schools (APS) graduates to make valuable decisions and plans regarding their future through the Mayor’s Youth Program. Since 2005, Mayor Franklin has made it her priority to reach all APS seniors and offer career and academic advice, financial assistance and support through the Mayor’s Youth Program. To date, she has reached over 2500 students; met one-on-one with over 1500 in Saturday sessions; steered career-bound students toward healthcare and IT certification programs; and fundraised for tuition assistance, lap top computers, and more. To read Mayor’s Youth Program student profiles, or for information on how your company can partner with the Mayor’s Youth Program, visit www.mayorsyouthprogram.org.
- In anticipation of the Atlanta Public Schools (APS) 2007-08 school year, last week, the City of Atlanta joined the Atlanta City Council and Grand Hustle Entertainment for a Book Bag and School Supply Giveaway at Adamsville Recreation Center. The Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs (DPRCA) joined City Councilmember C.T. Martin and Atlanta music artist, T.I., to donate book bags, provide free hair cuts, immunization shots, dental exams and additional school supplies to students in need. This event was designed to promote education and encourage Atlanta students to return to school with a positive attitude.
Musician T.I. joined Councilmember C.T. Martin and Atlanta youth at "Back to School" Giveaway. |
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Upcoming Events & Volunteer Opportunties
- The Atlanta Women’s Agenda (AWA) will host “Hidden in Plain Sight: Two Years Later,” at the City Council Chambers on Tuesday August 21 from 7:30 – 9 a.m. This will be an update on strategies and solutions to end child prostitution. This event is a quarterly Mayor’s Breakfast Roundtable and is FREE and open to the public. Reservations are requested. To RSVP, email RSVP@womensagenda.com.
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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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