Cobb
Austell Museum looking for annuals
Austell Museum is in need of school annuals for Austell Elementary, Garrett Middle and South Cobb High. Bring donations to Threadmill Complex, 5000 Austell Powder Springs Road, the museum or the Community Affairs Department.
Museum hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and by appointment weekends.
Information: 770-944-4309 Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC
Gwinnett
Reserving books at library on hold
The Gwinnett County Public Library system is implementing a new customer-friendly online catalog to debut Jan. 15.
Because of the transition, Monday will be the last day to place new hold requests in the existing catalog. Hold requests will become available again when the new Polaris catalog launches. Information: www.gwinnettpl.org.
Karen Huppertz for the AJC
Cherokee
Cherokee says budget year ending well
Cherokee County’s Chief Financial Officer is painting an upbeat picture of fiscal year 2013 preliminary budget results. Janelle Funk says revenues totaled $153.3 million, $8.2 million above the projected $145.1 She also told the Board of Commissioners Tuesday that expenses totaled $174.5 million, well below the budgeted $191 million. She said among reasons for higher revenue were better than expected tax collections, court fines and building permits. Mark Woolsey for the AJC
Atlanta
Annual Christmas concert today
The 20th annual Nicholas Bowden and Friends Christmas Concert is 6 p.m. today at Peachtree Presbyterian Church, 3434 Roswell Road NW.
Bowden, the church’s principal organist, will amass some of Atlanta’s most prolific soloists, 40+ professional musicians — many of whom are members of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra — and over 130 choral singers.
Featured is two-time Grammy award winning Soprano Sylvia McNair. Free, but an offering will be collected.
Information: 404-842-5800 or www.peachtreepres.org.
Arlinda Smith Broady
DeKalb
Improvements planned for Buford Highway
Brookhaven recently hired a design firm to help lead its efforts to plan improvements along Buford Highway.
The city will pay Jaeger Co. about $100,000 to help develop a redevelopment plan that includes safe housing and workforce programs.
The plan also will focus on pedestrian accessibility and streetscapes.
The work will be done alongside the year-long comprehensive plan for the city, which launches this month. April Hunt
Fayette
Fayette adopts 2014-16 school calendar
The Fayette County Board of Education essentially split the difference between two draft calendars to come up with a two-year school schedule on Monday. The 2014-15 school year will begin on Aug. 7 and end May 22. The calendar includes a four-day weekend for students in October but shortens the February break. The same general format will remain for 2015-16 as well.
Jill Howard Church for the AJC
