Bloglanta

For as long as I can remember, there are two events that signal the end of the year in Atlanta. One is the Peach Bowl. The other is the Peach drop at Underground Atlanta. This year, a new attraction and another college football bowl game will add to the excitement and celebration.

The Peach Bowl has traditionally been played on Dec. 31 but will be played this year on Dec. 30 at the Georgia Dome. The match up pits two top ten teams in a high profile showdown: The Southeastern Conference runner up LSU Tigers and the Atlantic Coast Conference perennial power Miami Hurricanes. Both teams “travel well” traditionally, meaning fans of both schools turn out in large numbers to bowl games. The Georgia Dome should be packed to the rafters. This will be the last year the bowl will have “Peach” in it as next year it will be called simply “The Chick-fil-A Bowl.”

On New Year’s Eve night, thousands of Atlantans will pack Underground Atlanta to ring in the New Year and watch the famous Peach drop. FYI: 2005 will be delayed by one second - a “leap second.” The purpose of the leap second is to make up for slight adjustments in the Earth’s rotation.

On New Year’s Day, the Atlanta Falcons will play their final regular season game at home against the Carolina Panthers. With a win, the Falcons can clinch their first back-to-back winning seasons in franchise history. That accomplishment will be bittersweet, however, since the Falcons are no longer in playoff contention after last week’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Workers at the Georgia Dome will have to work around the clock to prepare for another Atlanta first. The Sugar Bowl will be played away from New Orleans for the first time ever due to the damage to the Superdome caused by Hurricane Katrina. Had the Peach Bowl been scheduled for Dec. 31, three consecutive games would be played on three consecutive days. Nevertheless, many workers will be on overtime to pull off the weekend trifecta. The Sugar Bowl will match the SEC Champion Georgia Bulldogs against the West Virginia Mountaineers. The Dawg Nation will turn out en masse for this backyard game.

Throughout the holiday weekend, the Georgia Aquarium will remain open longer to handle larger crowds. Through Jan. 3, the Aquarium will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. instead of 6 p.m. The new 500,000 square-foot, $290 million Aquarium opened Nov. 23 and is the largest of its kind in the world.

Even MARTA is getting in on the act to help move the large crowds and alleviate some of the traffic woes that are bound to occur. On Dec. 30, extra trains will run to help the Peach Bowl crowd and all rail services will operate until 2 a.m. Rail service will operate for 24 hours on New Year’s Eve with additional trains. Extra trains will also operate on Jan. 1 and 2. The number of police officers will also increase on the streets to help vehicle and pedestrian traffic flow.

In all, more than 350,000 people are expected to pass through Atlanta this weekend, according to the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau. Other parades and concerts will add to the revelry and it should be an interesting weekend to say the least. Aside from the enormous revenue all these events will generate, this mega weekend should provide a fresh test for Atlanta’s venues, personnel and transportation system. Most of all remember: don’t say there was nothing to do this weekend.

Here’s a riddle for you….  Name a theater in the city of Atlanta that’s more than 300 seats but less than 500 seats that you can rent…. waiting…. waiting…
Oh!  You guessed the Balzer Theater!  Nope.  It’s only 200!   Hmmmm…  What about the 14th street playhouse?  Ding!  Ding!  Ding!  Yes.  Hypothetically, you could rent the 14th Street Playhouse main stage, it’s a great space which is just under 400.  However, ‘Menopause the Musical‘ (not kidding… this is among the most commercially popular shows in history) has rented the space for a year and is likely to extend for another. 
This leaves no space for anyone to rent of this size.  If the Rialto is too big and one of the 100-200 seaters is too small… your Concert/Production/Musical etc… skips Atlanta.  There is also now a scarcity if open venue houses that can house companies.  The closest thing is the Academy Theater in Avondale, and while that’s at least MARTA Accessible and ITP, it’s not in the city or walking distance from a train station. 
We need another venue.  We need a place for Galaxy Music Theatre or Theatre Gael to mount larger works!  … and the solution could be out there. 
For years now, the Backstreets Building has stood empty.  No one has taken it on.  Why not convert it into a 375 theater with a black box above?  It would be perfect.  The location can support the traffic, it’s in the city, the Peachtree Street Car will go right by.  With the Fox Theater five block south, and the Playhouse and Woodruff Arts Center a few blocks north, the location is perfect.  Atlanta would see more productions, Midtown would stay vibrant, and theatrical companies would have more opportunities! 
By the way…If you want a complete list of venues around town, you should checkout the Atlanta Performs list.

Atlanta is one step closer to certification as an important metropolitan area!  We have our own NFT Guide!  For those not in the know, Nor For Tourist guides don’t focus on the museums and such…  They focus on the practical items.  Each map lists coffee shops, gyms, libraries, gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants, and community gardens.  Their focus is very utilitarian. 
They also don’t try to list everything.  The guide barely goes outside the perimeter.  It’s never heard of Gwinnett.  Because it’s selective, you can tell a lot about the analysis of the city by what it includes. 
First, It reaffirms the general proposition that Atlanta is a North-South City.  Ever try to go east-west from Tucker to Vinings?  You can’t do it.  Moreover, the NFT guide realizes that most of us don’t ever want to.  It also lets you know how important neighborhoods are.  The density of amenities is clearly linked to the the success of a community. 
Each map also highlights some of the cooler elements of the neighborhood.  For example, in talking about Toco Hills, the highlight that there is terrific ethnic food all over the place.  Thai, Indian, Japanese, and Mexican all in easy walking distance of the hardware stores!  Cause when you’re drunk on Saki, you want power tools!
The NFT is a welcome addition.  It will help folks who live in town, encourage those moving here to do so, and encourage business visitors to make the most of our city.  All to the good!

Have you ever wondered how big Atlanta’s universe really is?   Apparently a lot of people in a lot of cities have wondered that about their area… and when too many people get curious….  and then the research begins… and people go nuts.  Sometimes the result is bloody loony, sometimes however, it’s genius. 
In this case, the results are a lovely combination.  Witness the CommmonCensus map.  The folks at Commonsensus start with one basic question:  “On the level of North America as a whole, what major city do you feel has the most cultural and economic influence on your area
overall?” 
By this measure, Atlanta’s influence is massive.  From Florida to North Carolina and Alabama to South Carolina, Atlanta dominates a huge geographic swath.  Granted, we’re not Denver, but we encompass numerous other MSAs and The Atlanta Braves have the largest geographic area of influence of any baseball team in the country!  Now,  who will buy that influence…..

“Becoming a City” is all the rage in Georgia at the moment.  As pointed out at Radical Georgia Moderate, Dekalb CEO Vernon Jones is looking at making all of unincorporated Dekalb County a city.  Nominally, this is to capture service fees, but there is a bigger battle going on here. 
Sandy Springs has just become a city and now Dunwoody and even unincorporated areas of Dekalb between Chamblee and the City of Atlanta line are looking at creating the City of Ashford. 
Ironically, it’s county politics that is a big part of the issue here.  With the creation of Sandy Springs, preparations are under way to offer Constitutional Amendments to form Milton County.  People who live in Dunwoody want to jump on that band wagon, but so long as they remain in an unincorporated part of Dekalb, they can’t do it.  If they form their own city however,  they can more easily escape Dekalb. 
A lot of this is about money.  Some of this is about race and social class.  However, the biggest issue here is Balkanization: we don’t need more of it. 
The last thing the metro community needs is more government entities all of whom are trying to have influence over the others and try to resource hoard.  Imagine what this will do trying to fund the transportation systems alone!  Then think about it’s impact on funding programs for kids (as people in one county hate funding a program that actually takes place in another) .   Further, we don’t really need an Ashford Civic and Cultural Center.  We already have Oglethorpe for
that. 
Metro Atlanta will be stronger if everyone works together.  We need leadership that focuses more on the region and the engines that drive it than on any given burb. 

Cafe Intermezzo is bucking a trend.  Most establishments that make a large percentage of their income from alcohol sales decided they would become 21 and up establishments in order to let smokers continue to indulge in their establishments.  State law changed and that forced locations such as Manuel’s to keep their smoking clientele and make it harder for families and young people to enjoy their locations. 
Cafe Intermezzo is gambling that their extensive dessert, drink, and coffee menu will make the right decision remaining open to all clientele.  In addition to being an aftershow location for couples and friends, Cafe Associates say keeping their doors open to families is an important part of their service. 
One  patron at the Ashford Dunwoody location noted that after the change, business initially took a hit, but that three changes resulted:
First, new patrons who didn’t like all the smoke have found the cafe. 
Second, because people could not linger and smoke, tables turned over faster.
Third, regulars decided to return and keep the place going.
Now, with the renovations at the Ashford Dunwoody location, the restaurant will be able to accommodate more people and provide a wider array of atmospheres for their guests.  One section will be a juice bar, giving younger guests a tasteful alternative and place to be. 
The smoking ban forced choices and for Cafe Intermezzo this seems to have made them re-double their efforts improve service and widen the group of folks who can enjoy the restaurant. 

Any of you who read the AJC’s stories about MARTA know that their reports refer to MARTA’s “budget crisis” with nearly every mention of the authority.

This is a brief look into the reality of that so-called “crisis.”

MARTA’s FY06 budget reveals how real the crisis is, but for reasons beyond MARTA’s control. When the GA Legislature passed the MARTA Act, a restriction was set on how MARTA could spend its tax revenues. 50 percent would go toward operations, and 50 percent would go toward capital. That was back in a time when the heaviest construction was underway, and MARTA’s capital budget needed that money to build a whole new rail system from scratch.

MARTA is still paying off its debts for that construction, but sales tax revenues have gone up since the 1970s. For FY06, only 28% of MARTA’s capital budget is going toward debt service. Thats $125 million. 62.5% of MARTA’s capital budget is going toward reinvesting in and enhancing the system. It’s good to see that, whatever anyone says about the authority, more than half of MARTA’s capital budget is going straight back into the system. But there is a surplus in the FY06 capital budget of $16.46 million. That’s $16.46 million that, by state law, cannot be used toward operations.

A few years ago, two bills were passed in the state legislature allowing some flexibility for MARTA. One bill changed the 50-50 sales tax split to 55-45. That’s 55% going toward MARTA’s operations. The other bill allowed MARTA to use interst income from its capital surplus to go toward operations. These two commonsense measures are about to expire.

You may have seen me go on and on about SB 114 and SB 115 before. But there is more to the issue.

The funding structure in the MARTA Act effectively splits MARTA’s budget in two, and there is a heavy cost to this. If capital revenues are not allowed to benefit operations, there is an artificial limit set to how often the trains and busses can run. And that is what is happening.

Below, you’ll find MARTA’s consolidated budget for FY06 (in millions):

What does this mean? Take a moment to forget about SB 114 and SB 115. These address, but do not fix what is still an arcane and artifical limit on MARTA’s ability to operate. Take away the limitations set by the legislature, and we come to find that the budget crisis is not as real as the AJC would have us believe.

Without the limitations set forth in the MARTA Act, MARTA would have a FY 06 surplus of just over a half-million dollars, and there would be no “crisis.”

Seven of us came out to Manuel’s Tavern last night for our celebration.

Joe, Robert, Larry, and Jonathan were among the contributors who came out in force. Joining us were Dana Blankenhorn, Robert’s significant-other Connie, and Danielle of Danielle fame. Here are the stats:

Number of people: Seven.

Best line of the night: What do writers do when they retire? Read!

Most popular blogger in the room: Larry

Best ride: Jonathan rode in on his bicycle

Worst ride: Joe rode on MARTA. The #16 bus was smelly and late on the way to Manuel’s, and wrecked going back to Five Points. Joe walked to Ponce and took the 45 to get back home, instead.

Most facial hair: It’s a close call between Jonathan and Dana.

Best accent: Larry, who is now dating a “psycho. analyst.”

Most-asked question: Where’s Amber?

Bad Poetry:
Thank you all for a wonderful time.
Last night was truly sublime.
We missed y’all who could not show,
But we hope you stay and help us grow.

We all know that Atlanta is where it is because of the Railroads.  An East-West railroad crossed a North South rail line and boom!  The roots of our city began.  In fact, in the bottom of the Whales Parking Garage, you can even seen the Center post of Atlanta. 
Now, here’s likely what you didn’t know.  That north-south rail line was laid with the most deliberate care and is the line that defines the Eastern Continental Divide.  All the water due west of Atlanta flows to the gulf and all the water due east of Atlanta flows into the Atlantic. 
All those scores of years ago, no one imagined that water would become the biggest bone of contention between Georgia and it’s neighbors, but as our city’s population has hit record levels (the previous high was in 1980 at 425,000),  the fight for water both in the Metro Atlanta region and between Georgia and the several states that boarder it has intensified.  The battle is now so pitched that the decision will likely be made by the United States Supreme Court. 
But the battle isn’t just over Metro Atlanta and it’s population; there are battles too over agricultural land where aquifers that once previously ran with fresh water have become salted.  This is a direct use of farmers pulling water for irrigation. 
The result of the water wars could have a huge impact on Atlanta’s ability to continue its growth.  No matter the result, Mayor Franklin’s success and bringing a coalition together to get the sewers and water system fixed will read benefits for Georgians from here to Columbus.  However, if Georgia does not fair well in the settlements with Alabama, you could see a large development shift going east where more of the water heads to the Atlantic.  This would mean higher densities in Dekalb, Rockdale, and Gwinnett, and even more need for transportation options, including suburban rail…which brings us full circle.

It’s all three, actually, depending on who you ask. Perched atop a hill on Fifteenth Street, just off of Peachtree Street, and facing the Woodruff Arts Center is a strange complex that puzzles each new passerby. Former Mayor Andrew Young referred to it as a “hunk of junk” and was scheduled for demolition in the 1980s until preservationists ultimately saved it. In 1989, it was designated a landmark by the city.

The “hunk of junk” was originally a retirement home for Ferdinand McMillan, Confederate veteran and co-founder of the McMillan & Avery firm, dealers in agricultural machinery. McMillan designed it himself and construction was completed in 1910. Residing with his wife and niece, McMillan dubbed it Fort Peace and lived there until his death in 1920. Viewing the interior of the house during McMillan’s stay would be interesting, but it is the exterior, still mostly intact, that is unique.

Michael Rose, in his book “Atlanta: Then and Now”(I’ve referenced this book before and if you don’t have a copy, put it on your Christmas list) notes that the house reflects the eccentricities of McMillan, built on a solid, two-story Stone Mountain granite base (judging by the capitalization, I assume that the granite for the base may come from Stone Mountain), canon openings and a Chinese turret. The house is built in the Victorian style that characterized mansions and homes in the area (most now gone) of the same period.

McMillan was a friend and one-time neighbor of Joel Chandler Harris, author of the “Uncle Remus” stories. According to atlantaga.gov, two niches in the second story façade and another niche below those contained small marble rabbits, the “Uncle Remus spring,” drinking fountain for pedestrians passing by, and other carved replicas of characters associated with Uncle Remus.

The position of the house allowed McMillan to maintain a large garden. Aside from his interest in gardening, McMillan had a great interest in inventing, according to atlantaga.gov. He reportedly designed one of the region’s first cottonseed oil presses, “the suction system for gins,” as well as the sub-irrigation system for his garden. With all of the unique features, McMillan said his basic intention was “to get as high into the air as I could, and there to build me a country home in the city.”

The surrounding four homes in the area were acquired by the Art Association and eventually demolished in the 1950s and ‘60s as the museum of art complex expanded. McMillan’s dream house remained, was dubbed “The Castle” and was inhabited by the burgeoning artistic community. From the end of World War II through the 1970s, Hazel Butler Roy owned the home and opened it to the artistic community. Various individual artists and performing arts groups rented rooms, lived, worked and played in the house. There was even a restaurant inside called the Carriage Room Restaurant.

Today, the towering skyscrapers of Midtown dwarf the house. Atlantaga.gov reports that AT&T plans to use the house for its Promenade project (I was unable to find specific details on this project after searching the Web. Anyone who knows more, feel free to share.). Aside from the significant architecture, The Castle remains a monument to the early Atlanta artistic community and a reminder of the four Peachtree Street homes demolished to make way for the Woodruff Arts Museum and the newly expanded High Museum of Art that we know and that it now overlooks.