Georgia Magazine - November, 2009 - (Page 8)

COMPILED BY JENNIFER J. HEWETT Georgia glimpses • The Inn at Serenbe, located in Chattahoochee Hills, just south of Atlanta, was named one of Cookie magazine’s top travel destinations in its 3rd Annual Best of Travel feature in the October 2009 issue. Named as one of eight “dreamy escapes,” The Inn at Serenbe was lauded as a place that was kid-friendly while being a great getaway for adults. For more, visit www.seren be.com. COURTESY SERENBE New licenses on the horizon This fall, the Department of Driver Services (DDS) began issuing new driver’s licenses and identification cards to Georgia residents. The new licenses have a different look and feel and are the most secure ever issued by the state. Old licenses will continue to be valid until their expiration date. Susan Sports, a public information officer with the Georgia DDS, emphasizes residents should keep their addresses current with the state. “There is an online option that makes it more convenient at www.dds.ga.gov,” she says. The new security features, including machine-readable technology and increased fraud protection, will make counterfeiting and identity theft more difficult. The new technology will also improve customer service, as the issuance process will be expedited, and document scanning will allow for quick access to information. • New on the bookshelves is former Sen. Max Cleland’s memoir, “Heart of a Patriot,” recounting his beginnings in Georgia, deployment and injury in Vietnam where he became a triple amputee, his time in Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and his recovery and healing while dealing with post traumatic stress disorder. Cleland has served as the head of the Veterans Administration and on the 9/11 Commission; this year, he became secretary of the American Battle Monuments Commission. ➤ One prominent security and aesthetic change will be the orientation of driver’s licenses issued to those under age 21. This new design will be printed vertically to distinguish it from other licenses and make it more difficult to replicate illicitly. Another new feature will be the issuance of interim licenses for approximately 45 days before a new, permanent license is issued. This period will allow for the DDS to confirm photographs and other information and diminish the potential for fraud and abuse. —Andrew Widener OFFICIAL WHITE HOUSE PHOTO / PETE SOUZA Honoring World War II veterans Two Georgians, Robert E. Philipps, of Byron, and Lee Brown, of Alpharetta, were recently awarded the Legion of Honor, the highest honor in France, for their service in World War II. The honor was bestowed upon them by Philippe Arnadaz, the consul general of France, at a ceremony in Atlanta. Among their many heroic deeds, Phillips and Brown, along with four other honorees from the Southeast, www.georgiamagazine.org were among the troops who participated in the Normandy landings, which were decisive to the liberation of France during 1944-45. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama greet former Sen. Max Cleland of Georgia before the ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, on the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings, June 6, 2009. GEORGIA MAGAZINE CONSULATE GENERAL OF FRANCE / ATLANTA http://www.www.serenbe.com http://www.www.serenbe.com http://www.dds.ga.gov http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - November, 2009

Georgia Magazine - November, 2009
Contents
Viewpoint
Picture This?
Mailbox
Georgia News
Calendar
Holiday Festivities Guide
Currents
Thanking Disabled Veterans
New, Inspired and Tasty
Around Georgia
My Georgia
Georgia Gardens
Georgia Cooks
Snapshot

Georgia Magazine - November, 2009