The 40th Anniversary Celebration

Sevananda will honor its members and patrons with a day of celebration and appreciation on Oct. 25 from noon to 5 p.m. at the market, 467 Moreland Ave. Festivities will take place in the store and parking lot. ere will be vegetarian hot dogs and hamburgers, games, clowns, face painting, entertainment and cra vendors. e co-op will also host guest speakers and a wellness spa downstairs in the Community Room, where practitioners will o er massages, re exology, reiki and other modalities. Call Sevananda at (404) 681-2831 for more information or visit sevananda.coop.

Simons said that, in her opinion, what has kept Sevananda alive over the years is the people. “ rough good times and bad, the people are resilient and they understand how important Sevananda’s existence really is. e sta and owners are authentic human beings who strive to live what they believe and have a passion to help others.”

Hollywood South: Atlanta touts success of film industry

e Mayor’s O ce of Entertainment marked its rst year of operation by announcing that more than 100 television, commercial and lm productions were lmed in the City of Atlanta from July 2013 to July 2014. In addition, more than 580 permits were issued which generated approximately $500,000.

Atlanta’s television and lm industry currently employs more than 6,000 individuals and is forecasted to support thousands of more jobs in the near future due to the increasing number of production companies conducting business here. In August, Tyler Perry entered into a tentative agreement to expand his production operations on 330 acres of former Fort McPherson. e $30 million deal is expected to add more than 8,000 new jobs.

Last year, Mayor Kasim Reed established the O ce of Entertainment to support the city’s rapidly expanding lm industry by streamlining the city’s permitting process for lm productions, facilitating employment of local talent, creating production-related educational and training opportunities, and providing residents and businesses a ected by lm productions with information and protection.

In 2008, the state enacted the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act, which increased the state tax credit to 30 percent for quali ed production of motion pictures, television series, commercials, music videos, interactive games and animation. Since then, the state and city have been a destination for the lm industry.

“ e impressive roster of lms and television shows produced in the city, including e Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Fast and Furious 7 and e Walking Dead, is proof that a growing number of companies are seeking Atlanta as the backdrop for their highly anticipated productions,” said O ce of Entertainment Director LaRonda Sutton.

“ e O ce of Entertainment is proud of the many accomplishments made during its rst year, and we look forward to supporting the continued success of the production and entertainment industry in Atlanta.”

To accommodate the growing list of productions in the city, the O ce of Entertainment has partnered with Tampa-based FilmApp, to launch the city’s use of the FilmApp tool, which streamlines the permit application process for production companies and independent producers. e previous process required applicants to obtain separate approvals from various city departments. Now, applicants can apply online and avoid the lengthy multi-step process. e FilmApp tool also allows for the O ce of Entertainment to e ectively communicate with residents and businesses during times of lming. For more information about FilmApp, visit lmapp.com.

First retailers open at Buckhead Atlanta

Developer Oliver McMillan’s Dene Oliver, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and Buckhead Coalition President Sam Massell were on hand to celebrate the opening of the first shops and restaurants at Buckhead Atlanta on Sept. 18. Pictured below, singer Warren G. Nolan opened the ceremony with a performance. Hermès, L’Occitane, Moncler, Scoop NYC, theory, Warby Parker, Corso Coffee, Gypsy Kitchen and Shake Shack are some of the early openers in the district.

A new slate of retail and restaurants will be opening soon at Lenox Square in Buckhead, including CH Carolina Herrera, Garrett Popcorn Shops, Bantam + Biddy, Boston Proper, Soma and Wokdragon ese new o erings will join the recently announced Diane von Furstenberg, Topshop and Topman, 7 For All Mankind and Athleta.

Two companies are looking for employees in metro Atlanta. Kroger will hire 2,000 permanent associates across its Atlanta Division, which includes Georgia, Eastern Alabama and South Carolina. Kroger is hiring for a variety of positions, including front end, deli, and store clerks. Interested applicants can apply at kroger.com/careers. UPS announced that it plans to hire around 95,000 seasonal employees for the holidays. e delivery services needs drivers, sorters, loaders, unloaders and other assistance to deliver millions of packages this year. To apply visit UPSjobs.com.

Cousins Properties has signed three leases totaling 77,302 square feet, at One Ninety One Peachtree Tower. e building, located in Downtown, is now 92 percent leased, the highest level since Cousins acquired the building in 2006. Cousins completed the leases with CPA rm Dixon Hughes Goodman, LLP, the nonpro t Association County Commissioners of Georgia, and law rm Hall Booth Smith, P.C.

Atlanta-based accounting rm, Smith & Howard, has been recognized as the number one CPA rm among the elite 50 “Best of the Best” rms in the nation by INSIDE Public Accounting. e rm was also included among the Best of the Best Fastest Growing Firms.

Co-working space Industrious O ce (industriouso ce.com) will open in Midtown later this month at 1447 Peachtree St. e space will feature 37 suites (from singleperson to 9-person suites) with the feel of a co ee shop and boutique hotel. Industrious will o er wi- , printing and conference rooms as well as hosting events like lunch and learns, networking happy hours, o ce yoga and more.

West End resident Alexandre Chenault has opened a new vintage boutique, Fire y Furniture ( re yvintagegoods. com), at 573 Joseph E Lowery Blvd. e shop o ers shabby chic, antique and vintage home furnishings. Operating the store with his mother, Wandra, Chenault has pulled together pieces from Europe, Africa, South America, the Caribbean and locally for an eclectic mix of goods.

Van Michael Salon (vanmichael.com) has opened a new location in Shops at Metropolis, 929 Peachtree St. in Midtown. is is the seventh location for the Atlantabased salon group, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary since the rst opened in Buckhead.

e Metis Movement Women’s Leadership Education Conference, a two-day educational colloquium with informative sessions for both young professionals and mid-level managers, will be held Oct. 16-17 at Agnes Scott College in Decatur. ere will be seminars on professional image, personal branding, dealing with con ict, conscious leadership, stress management and more. For more information, visit themetismovement.coaching4abundance.com/wlec/.

Twitter is bulking up its datacenter capacity in Atlanta, according to a report from Atlanta Business Chronicle.

e San Francisco-based social network will lease 80,000 square feet in a nearly 1 million square foot server farm near downtown Atlanta. e data center, about the size of 17 football elds, is operated by Quality Technology Services (QTS), which declined comment to ABC for their story.