Last Chance: Income Tax Returns, Weltner Freedom Award Banquet, Urban Design Awards

The federal income tax deadline is April 17 this year, so you still have time to prepare your returns. Tax returns must be mailed by 11:59 p.m. next Tuesday.

Here is an NPR story with information on finding last minute help. In Buckhead, the Pharr Road Post Office, 575 Pharr Road, stays open until 8 p.m. Some metro post offices will stay open to the almost midnight deadline.  For information, see the U.S. Postal Service's web site.

Lewis to Be Honored

U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), who represents Buckhead, will receive the 2012 Charles L. Weltner Freedom of Information Award Wednesday from the Georgia First Amendment Foundation.

Lewis, a hero of the civil rights movement, will be honored at a dinner at the offices of King & Spalding, 1180 Peachtree St. in Atlanta, beginning at 6:15 p.m., according to a news release.
 
Hank Klibanoff, veteran journalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning co-author of  "The Race Beat: The Press, the Civil Rights Struggle, and the Awakening of a Nation,” will speak. Klibanoff, a Buckhead resident, is the James M. Cox Jr. Professor of Journalism at Emory University.
   
The Weltner banquet is a major fundraiser for the Georgia First Amendment Foundation. Sponsors pay from $1,500 to $5,000 to participate. Individual tickets sell for $300.

Urban Design Commision Awards of Excellence

The Atlanta Urban Design Commission is seeking nominations for its 35th annnual Awards of Excellence.

The awards honor projects, programs, indviduals and organizations "that have significantly contributed toward the enhancement of the city of Atlanta's built environment, the preservation of our physical heritage, and the sympathetic balance between the old and the new," according to an announcement from the city's Department of Planning and Community Development.

The complete nominations must be received in the Office of Planning, Suite 3350, City Hall, by Monday, April 23. The nomination forms must be mailed or brought to the office, including images. Each submission must include 12 hard copies of all materials.

For information, contact Denise Potts at 404-330-6201 or dpotts@atlnataga.gov.

MARC Youth Leadership Program

The Model Atlanta Regional Commission (MARC) youth leadership program is currently accepting applications for its 2012-2013 class. Any student currently in the 9^th or 10^th grade in a public or private high school in the 10-county region may apply. Home-schooled students are also eligible.

The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) – the official planning agency for the 10-county Atlanta region – created this youth leadership program almost 15 years ago to bring together teen leaders from high schools through­out the metro area who want to make a difference in their community. MARC brings together teen leaders from every county in the region for six months of field trips, hands-on activities and problem solving. In addition to learning about where they live, students will improve their presentation skills and learn how to work effectively in teams and build consensus. The class meets approximately once a month, on Saturdays, between September and March.

To apply, students must fill out the online application form on the ARC website, provide a written essay about the regional issues that interest them the most and obtain a letter of recommendation from a teacher or counselor. The selection committee evaluates the applications based on academic achievement, extracurricular activities, level of interest, the written essay and recommendations. The deadline to apply is Friday, April 13. About 55 students are accepted each year, and students are notified mid-May.

See here for more information.Students, teachers or parents wanting more information may also contact Grace Trimble at 404-463-3192 or gtrimble@atlantaregional.com.

Input on City of Atlanta Services

Are you satisfied with city of Atlanta services? Now you can give your input with the click of a mouse. The Atlanta City Council’s Finance/Executive Committee is inviting residents to provide input on their level of satisfaction with selected city services online on the city of Atlanta’s website at www.atlantaga.gov At the main webpage, click on the rotating image scroll that says “City of Atlanta Satisfaction Survey.”

Online feedback will be accepted until midnight April 30. The survey data will be compiled and a report will be generated for review and analysis as part of the Atlanta City Council’s 2013 City Budget Review Process.