Atlanta Blog

April is a beautiful month in Atlanta, when spring gets into full-swing and plants and trees seem to blossom overnight. Of course, there's that pollen residue that leaves a yellow coat on everything, but that and springtime allergies aside, it's difficult to deny the beauty of this season in Atlanta. This is the time of year when residents flock to the outdoors for festivals, park outings or just dinner and cocktails on their favorite restaurant patio.

The weather is appropriately gloomy today, on the 40th anniversary of the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. April 4, 1968 is forever burned into the memories of many Atlanta residents, as they heard the news that King had been taken down by a sniper in Memphis, Tennessee. While the loss of his powerful presence was tragic and devastating, his legacy continues to thrive and will never die.

If you haven't before, take the time soon to visit The King Center and purchase some of his writings and his speeches. As often as King is quoted, one would assume his words would become almost cliche, or at least lose some of their power. Not so for me- hearing King's speeches always spark an emotional response.

Image of the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee, now a civil rights museum, copyright 2008 by Win McNamee/Getty Images News.

If you are planning on heading to the Atlanta Dogwood Festival this weekend, don't show up at Piedmont Park because you will be sorely disappointed. Remember, due to the drought, the Atlanta Dogwood Festival has moved to Lenox Square Mall in Buckhead. With two MARTA stations within easy walking distance of the mall, organizers are urging people to use mass transit.

The weather is going to be a mixed bag this weekend. Stormy weather is predicted today and tomorrow, but at least Sunday should be beautiful. And one upside of the festival moving to its mall location- when it starts to rain, you can just run inside and shop.

The picturesque performance facility in Mableton unveiled their upcoming summer concert lineup recently, and if you are a fan of 1970's and 1980's music icons, you will definitely want to check out some of their shows this season. Highlights include Pat Benatar, returning due to popular demand, Michael Bolton, who will perform with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Kool & the Gang and Kenny Loggins.

If you wondered if there was some kind of blackout last night in Atlanta from 8-9 p.m., the answer is no, the lights were extinguished voluntarily as part of Earth Hour 2008, and many landmark businesses in Downtown, Midtown and Buckhead participated by turning off non-essential lights for an hour. Skylines darkened around the world as a way to promote awareness of global warming and conservation efforts.

If you would like to get involved in environmental efforts in Atlanta, there are plenty of local organizations that seek to improve Atlanta's air, water and other environmental concerns.

Image of the pier at Piedmont Park copyright 2007 by Joy Johnston. Piedmont Park is one of Atlanta's most prized greenspaces, and due to the severe drought, city officials have banned large festivals from taking place at the park in 2008, to limit any further damage to the grass.

Atlanta rapper T.I. pleaded guilty to federal weapons charges and will be sentenced in 2009 to a prison term upon successful completion of an unusual and lengthy community service sentence. The charges stem from a sting operation that culminated in the rap star being arrested in a Midtown Atlanta store parking lot for trying to purchase machine guns and silencers, right before the BET Music awards in October of 2007. Because of T.I.'s prior criminal record, the weapons charges carry a mandatory prison sentence. However, both federal prosecutors and T.I.'s defense team worked out this unusual plea agreement, which allows T.I. to use his formidable star power to teach kids to do the right thing, while under a strict monitoring system. If he fulfills this part of the agreement and doesn't break any other laws, then the judge has agreed to sentence T.I. to one year, one day in prison, which allows the rapper to get a reduced sentence for good behavior. Without this plea deal, T.I. could have faced a prison sentence closer to five years.

T.I. has been on house arrest since he was charged, but was allowed, under escort, to attend Easter church services at the Georgia Dome this past weekend. He will now be able to move about a bit more freely, and leave his house to work on music, movies or his community service. He will be constantly monitored both by private escorts and by an ankle monitoring device. He also is forbidden from drinking alcohol or doing illegal drugs, and is subject to unannounced searches of his home at any time.

Photo credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images Entertainment.

Due to the tornado that ripped through Downtown Atlanta a couple of weeks ago, there have been a few changes to the activities planned in conjunction with the race, though the race course remains set in place as originally planned. You can visit the ING Georgia Marathon website for full details, but take note that the Race Expo has moved to the Georgia Dome and the Sister Hazel/ Steve Baskin Band concert scheduled on Friday at the Tabernacle has been canceled.

For all of the registered marathon runners and their supporters, the race will go on just as planned, with the start and finish taking place at Centennial Olympic Park, where workers painstakingly removed glass that landed there from the tornado.

Snow flurries don't exactly suggest spring training, but the Atlanta Braves are gearing up for an exciting season with some new faces and fan favorites in the lineup. Find out where to access the game schedule for the Braves and how to score tickets to one of the home games, along with a local store that specializes in vintage jerseys.

The Braves Logo courtesy of Major League Baseball.

I took a tour of the parts of Downtown Atlanta impacted by the F2 tornado that struck the area last Friday evening and while a lot of progress has been made, there is still a long ways to go in the cleanup process. For instance, I had to use a side entrance to access Thrive, a Downtown Atlanta restaurant because the potential for falling glass made the main entrance hazardous. Several major streets are still closed due to the threat of falling glass.

Photo of the damage to the Tabernacle, with the Westin Peachtree Plaza with broken windows in the background, copyright 2008 by Joy Johnston.

This morning is the annual "Running of the Brides" event at Filene's Basement in Buckhead. Don't despair if you can't make it this morning, when the initial mass of brides-to-be rush the store. For those wanting a less frantic wedding dress shopping experience, Filene's recommends coming after 10 a.m. Keep in mind that the sale goes on all day, and there will still be plenty of dresses to choose from even if you stop in after work.

If you are looking for amazing bargains, you really shouldn't pass up on this sale. Wedding gowns that originally were priced anywhere from $900 to $9,000-plus will be priced today only at $249, $499 and $699.