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Population sign soon will count again
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s Buckhead’s answer to The Big Chicken.
And when the Darlington Apartments “Atlanta’s Population Now” landmark sign went dark earlier this year, some Atlantans began squawking, much like the folks in Cobb County did when the Kentucky Fried Chicken icon’s mechanical beak went slack a few years ago.
Staff / 1965 photo
On March 16, 1965, Mayor Ivan Allen Jr. shows — or tries to, anyway — Scott Silvis, 16 months, the new sign at the Darlington Apartments that shows a running count of Atlanta’s population.
Since the announcement was made in March that metro Atlanta’s population officially blew past the 5 million milestone in 2006, the old-school, light bulb accented sign hasn’t been able to officially report the occasion. The landmark has been keeping a record of the area’s growth for locals since the 1960s.
On Friday, the sign, situated outside the apartment complex at 2025 Peachtree Road, remained out of commission.
Naturally, Buckhead Coalition president Sam Massell was plugged in about the unplugged landmark.
“Along with our area’s marvelous growth, the population sign has had some growing pains,” the former Atlanta mayor told Buzz. With its original technology, Massell says the sign lacked the ability to go past 4,999,999.
“It quite literally couldn’t keep up with the times,” Massell said.
We’re told that the Darlington Apartments folks who maintain the sign are on the case, however, and a new numeral read-out system has been dispatched.
On Friday, the city of Atlanta announced it has approved the permit to make the necessary changes to the landmark.
Look for the sign to spring to life again — complete with a five in front for the first time — some time next month.
Sour 16 turns sweet
In these high-priced, MTV “My Super Sweet 16” times, it can be rough on a parent when their child turns the big 1-6. “I didn’t have the money to do anything real nice for my daughter,” Griffin resident Felicia Lindsey told Buzz, tears rolling down her face. So on Friday morning, Hot-107.9’s “A-Team” did.
Morning show members Rashan Ali, Emperor Searcy, Griff, Akini and Beyoncé held a birthday party for Griffin High School 10th-grader Contrail Lindsey.
And the extra surprise treat was that her mother was “Griffd” — translation: She was given a T-shirt, a box of Kit Kats and other prizes — by Griff and special guest, R&B singer and former Destiny’s Child member Kelly Rowland.
“This is sooooo good,” the birthday teen said. And the best part? “They gave me a candle,” she said, motioning toward her plum-scented Kenya’s Kandle Kreation.
Ray OK after ‘Design’ ouster
Christina Ray, the sweet-as-pecan pie interior designer from Canton, was abruptly ousted in Sunday’s episode on HGTV’s popular reality show “Design Star” without even a judge involved.
Instead, a couple about to get married deemed her wedding reception presentation too feminine, even for the bride’s taste.
“It was fairly shocking she was gone,” Atlanta interior designer and judge Vern Yip told Buzz this week. “She is a very talented designer. She has an innate sense of certain design principles.” He said he honestly thought she’d go further. (Four contestants remain.)
Ray, immediately after she was ousted, was heartbroken. “I feel like a failure,” she said on the show.
But months later, she was back to her chipper self. “I don’t have any regrets of the design plan I chose,” she said.
Ray, 30, who is married with two young children, said Christina Ray Designs business has blown up since the series launched last month. “I’m getting a lot more commercial work,” she said. “Clubhouses for apartment complexes. Model apartments for display. Office space. I’m getting calls from all over America!”
Tickets hot items for ‘Fashion Cares’
Organizers behind this year’s 15th annual “Fashion Cares” are learning to never underestimate the global reach of Peachtree Road resident Sir Elton John. After Elton John AIDS Foundation-Atlanta board member Barron Segar went on Star 94 this week to publicize that the pop star has donated an unprecedented pair of tickets to his coveted (and very exclusive) annual Oscar night party in Los Angeles to the event’s live auction, fans have responded in droves.
On Friday, co-chair Sacha Taylor estimated that organizers have logged more than 100 e-mails from interested fans, “including a number of Elton John fan clubs and attendees coming from New York, Los Angeles, Italy and France.” The EJAF is a longtime presenting sponsor.
The breast cancer and AIDS charity fund-raiser — featuring a special appearance by fashion legend Oscar de la Renta — will be Monday night downtown at 55 Allen Plaza. We hear that developer Ben Carter, the driving force behind the Buckhead Village makeover project, is set to pick up de la Renta in a private jet.
For tickets and info: www.jeffreyfashioncares.com
HIGH FIVE
The top-selling albums at Decatur CD this week:
1. Josh Ritter, “The Historical Conquests of …”
2. Flight of the Conchords, “The Distant Future” EP
3. Rilo Kiley, “Under the Blacklight”
4. The Budos Band, “The Budos Band II”
5. New Pornographers, “Challengers”
Courtesy: Decatur CD, 356 W. Ponce de Leon Ave.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Saturday: Actor Sean Connery is 77. Talk show host Regis Philbin is 76. Actor Tom Skerritt is 74. Musician Elvis Costello is 53. Director Tim Burton is 49. Country singer Billy Ray Cyrus is 46. TV chef Rachael Ray is 39.
Sunday: Actor Macaulay Culkin is 27. Actress Keke Palmer (“Akeelah and the Bee”) is 14.
Contributing: Rodney Ho, Sonia Murray and news services.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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