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🏘️ Senior tax relief

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Tuesday treats

Oct. 28 — With spooky season in full swing, Chattahoochee Nature Center is beginning celebrations for its 50th anniversary with “Halloween Hikes.” Learn how to join in and find out how to participate in other ’50 Things’ events below.

This week, we have more on Act 358’s inclusion on the Nov. 4 ballot. Scroll down to learn details on this measure aimed at providing tax relief for homeowners aged 65 and up.

And, the latest installment of Take 5 features an interview with Louise Gordon – with a spotlight on her dedication to culture curation and art education via the Atlanta Ballet Boutique.

Let’s jump in for a few headlines:

🥇 Walon Smith of Perry, GA was named the recipient of the 2025 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service – the AARP’s most prestigious honor for volunteerism and community impact.

⚖ The Georgia Supreme Court heard several cases last week, including two that could affect how cities design roadways, and another involving child custody for an unmarried couple.

✂ The head of Fulton County Schools said the district needs to cut expenses by $95 million over the next four to five years or face “financial ruin.”

🚇 MARTA debuted an upgraded Breeze payment system yesterday and will roll it out across the system ahead of the FIFA World Cup.

🐦‍⬛ Decatur recently made history by becoming the first location in Georgia to earn the official “Bird City” designation.

🎒 The Sandy Springs Mission will celebrate 25 years of empowering low-income students and families during a luncheon on Thurs., Oct. 30.

🕓 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter.

• Act 358 and homestead exemption
• Chattahoochee Nature Center challenge
• Take 5 with Louise Gordon
AND
• Stories of Atlanta | Lance Russell

Enjoy!



Photo provided

Senior Tax Relief: Homestead exemption on ballot, tax relief fund expands in Atlanta

🏠 Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens joined state Rep. Inga Willis, former state Sen. Jason Esteves, and members of the Atlanta Board of Education this week to urge residents to approve a homestead tax exemption benefiting seniors on the Nov. 4 ballot.

The proposal, known as Act 358, would exempt homeowners aged 65 and older from paying property taxes toward Atlanta Public Schools, offering financial relief amid rising living costs.

At a recent news conference, Willis said the measure was designed to ease anxiety for residents and provide meaningful support for older Atlantans.

“We know that things are tough, we know that things are hard,” Willis said. “But for our seniors, who should be in the most comfortable and comforted moment in their lives, I believe that this is a step in the right direction. We are asking you to help us give our seniors relief.”

🤝 Read the full story here.


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Photo via @chattahoocheenaturecenter on Instagram

Chattahoochee Nature Center launches ’50 Things’ challenge ahead of milestone anniversary

🐢 Ahead of its 50th anniversary, Chattahoochee Nature Center (CNC) is launching a new challenge initiative called “50 Things to Do at Chattahoochee Nature Center.”

The challenge encourages Atlantans to explore the outdoors in creative and meaningful ways, with the first challenge kicking off this month during CNC’s popular “Halloween Hikes” event and continuing through June 2026.

“It’s hard to believe Chattahoochee Nature Center is approaching five decades of connecting people with nature, a milestone we are all incredibly proud of and excited to commemorate,” said Natasha Rice, chief executive officer of Chattahoochee Nature Center. “We decided to begin the celebration early in a way that truly engages our community, and launching our ‘50 Things’ challenge during Halloween Hikes felt like the perfect way to do that.”

Participants are encouraged to complete activities from four themed categories (“Health and Wellness,” “Adventure,” “Artistic,” and “Flora and Fauna”) that CNC designed to showcase the many ways visitors can connect with nature, according to the environmentally-focused nonprofit.

🚣‍♀️ Read more about how to participate and celebrate here. 



Photo provided

Take 5 with culture curator and art educator Louise Gordon

🩰 Louise Gordon now serves as manager of the Atlanta Ballet Boutique, the exclusive retailer for the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education uniforms and apparel.

Gordon loves the ballet and believes that art – especially dance – transcends language. It’s about connection, storytelling, and shared humanity. What Gordon cherishes most is that dance is inherently inclusive – that “everyone can feel something through movement, no matter their culture, background, or language.” 

In her most recent Take 5 column, Teri Elam spoke with Gordon about her love for Atlanta and her work with the Atlanta Ballet. 

🎀 Check out that conversation here.



‘The Skill of the Pen’: Stories of Atlanta by Lance Russell

VIA SAPORTAREPORT

🖊 Throughout history, some of the world’s most enduring companies have been the result of business partnerships.  Sometimes, the partnership brings renown to all of the partners – Procter and Gamble, Hewlett-Packard, and Ben and Jerry come to mind.

But not every partnership can be Rodgers and Hammerstein, and, as they say, ‘fair’ does not always mean ‘equal’. People bring different skills to a partnership and often with surprising results.

Take the case of Frank Robinson, a bookkeeper in the late 1800s who was a partner in an upstart Atlanta firm. Before electronics became ubiquitous, one of the hallmarks of a good bookkeeper was penmanship. There was actually a style of handwriting, the Spencerian Script, that became synonymous with business and with bookkeepers.

It was, in part, bookkeeper Frank Robinson’s penmanship that helped him sell an idea to his business partners.

📒  Read more about what transpired next on this week’s Stories of Atlanta.


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🖋 Today’s Silver Streak was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.


The post 🏘️ Senior tax relief appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

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