Community News

City of Atlanta

Mayor to speak at commencement

Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin will deliver the commencement address for Saint Leo University. The ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Atlanta Civic Center. About 350 students will graduate. LAURA DIAMOND

Gas South gives schools $25,000 in scholarships

Gas South gave the Atlanta public school system $25,000 Thursday in scholarship money for 25 graduating students.

An award ceremony took place at Turner Field, hosted by Atlanta Braves president John Schuerholz.

The money is in recognition of Atlanta schools Superintendent Beverly Hall being named superintendent of the year by the American Association of School Administrators. ERIC STIRGUS

Morehouse passes accreditation test

Morehouse School of Medicine’s Clinical Research Center successfully passed its Ambulatory Health Care Accreditation, school officials said.

No requirements for improvement were identified by the Joint Commission, which accredits 1,600 ambulatory care organizations. The Joint Commission conducted a two-day review of the CRC on May 11-12.

The CRC was established in 1996 to facilitate clinical trials in cardiovascular disease, cancer, clinical pharmacology, HIV and AIDS and community-based research. The Joint Commission’s standards address the ambulatory care organization’s performance in patient care and safety. CRAIG SCHNEIDER

Riverdale’s top students honored with award

Five Riverdale students were recently named top students at their respective schools. Sterling Bright, Church Street Elementary; Keimani Harvey, Sequoia Middle School; Brittany Johnson, Donovan Campbell and Kelita Almond, all of Riverdale High School; and Rohan Gayle, North Clayton High School, each received the Mayor’s Cup in honor of their academic and civic involvement. The award is given annually by Riverdale Mayor Evelyn Wynn Dixon.

“Each of these students exhibited every characteristic we were looking for,” said Dixon. “They’re well-mannered, hardworking and respectful young men and women.”

The cup, Dixon said, is part of the Riverdale Inspiring Student Excellence program, which seeks to improve the academic performance, civic participation and community involvement of students who live there.

GRACIE BONDS STAPLES

Councilman to host town hall meeting

Atlanta City Councilman Ivory Lee Young is hosting a town hall and redevelopment summit from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday in rooms A404 and A405 of the Georgia World Congress Center. ERIC STIRGUS

Cobb

Acworth * Austell * Kennesaw * Mableton * Marietta * Powder Springs * Smyrna * Vinings

Pre-register for Marietta Soap Box Derby

The Marietta Soap Box Derby will be held 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturday, June 13, at Marietta High School, 1171 Whitlock Ave., Marietta. The free family-friendly event is an official qualifying event for the All-American Soap Box Derby. Soap Box Derby racing is for children 8-17 years old.

In addition, the Kiwanis Club of Marietta will hold a classic car show at the high school from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will feature muscle cars, hot rods and vintage cars like a 1957 baby blue Chevy Belaire and a 1960 Corvette convertible.

Entrants can pre-register on the Web site, www.mariettakiwanis.org., or they can show up at the gate, said Edith Boy, a director of the Marietta Kiwanis Club. MARY LOU PICKEL

Free summer concert series starts Saturday

Kennesaw kicks off its free summer concert series Saturday with a performance by the band Mighty McFly. Frontiers, a Journey tribute band, performs on July 3, and The Rockerz, on Sept. 12. Fireworks will follow the July 3 show. All shows start at 8 p.m. at the train depot at 2828 Cherokee St. Seating is general admission, but tables directly in front of the performance area are available for $40 per table, except for $50 per table for Frontiers. Each table seats six. RALPH ELLIS

DeKalb

Avondale Estates * Chamblee * Clarkston * Decatur * Doraville * Dunwoody * Lithonia * Pine Lake * Stone Mountain * Tucker

Panelists will offer free housing, financial advice

Financial speakers will give free advice on everything from home ownership to business startups at an event Saturday promoted by DeKalb County government.

PBS Moneywise Television’s Kelvin Boston will introduce panelists from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., Foundation for Financial Planning, Homes Saved By Faith and South DeKalb Church Federal Credit Union, according to a news release from county spokeswoman Kristie Swink.

Speakers will address bankruptcy, declining home values and de-valuation of stocks, among other problems. Registration for the all-day event starts at 8 a.m. at the new Porter Sanford Performing Arts and Community Center at 3181 Rainbow Drive south of Decatur. For details, go to www.getmoneywiseevents.com or www.sdcfcu.org. TY TAGAMI

Grand opening of new Glenlake pool

The grand opening of the Decatur’s new Glenlake pool and bathhouse will be held today at the Glenlake Park. Rain delayed the completion of the new bathhouse on Church Street, which is part of a $3 million plan to spruce up its features.

The grand opening celebration begins at 5 p.m. today and includes games, prizes and refreshments. Admission to the pool also will be free both today and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. tomorrow. APRIL HUNT

Fulton

Alpharetta * Chattahoochee Hills * College Park * East Point * Fairburn * Hapeville * Johns Creek * Milton * Palmetto * Roswell * Sandy Springs * Union City

East Point buying new police cruisers

East Point Police will soon be getting new Dodge Chargers, despite some misgivings about the automaker’s solvency.

The city will buy 12 of the cruisers from a local Chrysler dealership, on a four-year payment plan. Including interest, the new patrol cars will cost the city about $319,000.

City Councilwoman Earnestine Pittman cast the sole dissenting vote Monday night, saying it was unclear if the dealership or company would warranty the vehicles and make sure parts would be available in the future.

“I know we need cars, but we don’t need cars sitting on the side of the road because we can’t get them serviced,” Pittman said.

The new cruisers should be on the streets in the next few weeks. APRIL HUNT

Alpharetta wine tastings will benefit Habitat

An Alpharetta wine and cigar store will hold a wine tasting from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. every Saturday in June to benefit Habitat North Central Georgia.

Vino 100/Tinderbox at 131 S. Main St. will offer four or five wines for just $10 per person, with half of the fee going to Habitat. For more information, go to www.tinderboxvino100atl.com. RALPH ELLIS

Fulton School board to hold retreat June 5

The Fulton County Board of Education will meet for a retreat on June 5 from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. in the administrative conference room at Westlake High School.

The board is considering a budget that avoids widespread layoffs by requiring many administrative and other employees to take from 5 to 20 furlough days next school year. Fulton plans to open five new schools next year. Total spending is set at about $1.1 billion. Westlake High School is at 2400 Union Road S.W. in Atlanta. D.L. BENNETT

Commission defers vote on church’s request

Sandy Springs won’t decide until later this summer on a Church of Scientology’s request to move into the city.

The city’s planning commission voted last week to defer the church’s application to rezone a former office at Roswell Road and Glenridge Drive for its operations. At issue: whether the proposed 81 parking spaces will be enough for the 600-member church. Church representatives said they will conduct a parking study to show they will not need the 148 spaces estimated by city staff to meet the church’s needs.

The request —- which has drawn objections from residents because of concerns over parking, traffic and noise —- is expected to go before the planning commission again in August. The church is now located in Dunwoody. APRIL HUNT

Deadline nears for bids to build new park

Bids to construct a major park in Sandy Springs are due back to the city next Monday.

Once those offers are in hand, the city expects to move quickly to hire a contractor to build its 26-acre Overlook Park. The park, along the Chattaoochee River, will feature a playground, picnic pavilion and storage shed for personal watercraft once it is completed in the coming year.

The city also plans to plant several types of native trees and shrubs along the river to act as an erosion buffer. The state Environmental Protection Division sent Sandy Springs a notice of violation earlier this year, when it clear-cut that area as part of preparing the site for a park. APRIL HUNT

Gwinnett

Berkeley Lake * Buford * Dacula * Duluth * Grayson * Lawrenceville * Lilburn * Norcross * Snellville * Sugar Hill * Suwanee

Safer teen driving program set for June 25

New teen drivers and their parents are invited to help make summer safer on the roads by participating in the Suwanee Police Department’s PRIDE driver education program.

The two-hour program, called Georgia Teens Ride with PRIDE (Parents Reducing Injuries and Driver Error), will be offered from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, June 25, at the Suwanee Crossroads Center, 323 Buford Highway. The course helps parents model safe driving behaviors so their new teen drivers can be more confident behind the wheel.

Advanced registration is required by June 18. To apply, visit the Hot Links section at www.suwanee.com or contact Sgt. Elias Casanas at elias@suwanee.com or 770-945-8995. ANDRIA SIMMONS

Greater Atlanta

Cherokee * Clayton * Coweta * Douglas * Fayette * Forsyth * Henry * Paulding * Rockdale

‘Hurricane Hunters’ to visit Peachtree City

A hurricane-penetrating aircraft will visit Peachtree City’s Falcon Field on June 13.

Visitors can tour the Lockheed-Martin WC-130J and meet members of the Air Force Reserve “Hurricane Hunters” (the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron) from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The National Weather Service office at Falcon Field will hold an open house that day to increase hurricane awareness. RALPH ELLIS

State

DOE, schools get grant for teaching astronomy

The Georgia Department of Education, Georgia Southern University and Columbus State University have won a $1.2 million grant to improve the astronomy lessons students receive in high school.

The award from NASA will go toward an initiative called Georgians Experience Astronomy Research in Schools (GEARS), which will conduct teacher training around the state. Teachers will learn about different methods and receive curriculum infused with research from NASA. LAURA DIAMOND

DOT board member will resign at month’s end

State Transportation Board Vice Chairman Larry Walker of Perry said he would resign his seat halfway through his five-year term, at the end of June, because of “the probability of other opportunities that are incompatible with my being on the board.”

In an interview, he would not say what those opportunities were, but gave his “sacred word of honor” that his departure had nothing to do with the turmoil DOT has endured over the last couple of years. He said the opportunity was not elective office, another full-time job or transportation consulting.

Walker supported former DOT Commissioner Gena Evans and in February was one of two board members who opposed firing her. Now, it appears that the candidate who opposed Evans when she was elected, Rep. Vance Smith (R-Pine Mountain), is favored to replace her when the board votes on a new DOT chief June 18. In addition, a new law is about to partly restructure DOT, weakening the board’s power and throwing DOT leaders into a reorganization process that will be complicated at best. ARIEL HART

License for nuclear power plant renewed

WAYNESBORO —- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has renewed the operating licenses for the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant in Waynesboro for an additional 20 years.

The new licenses will expire on Jan. 16, 2047, and Feb. 9, 2049 for Units 1 and 2, respectively. The Vogtle plants are two pressurized-water reactors about 25 miles south of Augusta.

The NRC held public meetings to discuss the Vogtle environmental review and concluded last December that there were no environmental impacts that would preclude renewal of the licenses for environmental reasons. ASSOCIATED PRESS

State gets $3.6 million to restore floodplains

ATHENS —- Officials say Georgia will receive $3.6 million in federal funds to help restore flood-prone areas.

State conservationist James E. Tillman of the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service said Thursday the money will cover 563 acres under the Emergency Watershed Protection Program.

The program allows the government to acquire easements on private land, or land owned by state and local governments, that have been damaged at least once in 12 months or twice in 10 years. ASSOCIATED PRESS