Coyote Alert: more sightings near Medlock Park

This was posted on Facebook tonight [around 8pm-ish]

In the last couple of months, there have been many sightings all over the neighborhood. We've had reports of coyotes near Medlock Park, on Gaylemont, and in the Medlock Elementary school property but also on Woodridge and Desmond.

As you will read in just about any article about coyotes, they are clever and adaptable. Other critters in the wild kingdom look up to them as models of range expansion. Our neighborhood, graced as it is with pockets of woods, creeks, and ample food supply, are simply too attractive.

City of Decatur has created a page with links on coping with urban coyotes, see  http://www.decaturga.com/index.aspx?page=569. Please review this information to ensure you and your pets remain safe.

p.s. 

Admittedly far cuter and less threatening than coyotes, San Joaquin foxes are another example of wild canids who thrive in close proximity to humans. 

Girl Scout Troop 26429: Cookies Available [Feb 19]

Which one's your favorite???

Troop 26429 will be at Melton's on Sunday, Feb 19 from 12:00pm - 2:00pm and then at the Kroger on DeKalb Industrial from 5:15pm-7:15pm.

Free Green Lecture Series Starts This Week at the Decatur Library

from the Oakhurst Community Garden: announcing a series of free courses on greener living

LIVING THE GREEN LIFE
All Year Long at the Decatur Library Starting this Wednesday!

Over the past few years, the interest in living a more green and sustainable lifestyle has grown tremendously. The Oakhurst Community Garden Project, the City of Decatur, and the DeKalb County Public Library are pleased to announce their collaboration on offering you an exciting FREE series of classes in 2012. Topics include gardening for food and for the unpredictable environment, how to make your home more efficient, composting, and using what you have to lead a healthy life. Look for seminars and workshops that speak to information that is timely and current as well as leaving with a full list of resources that can be found at your local library and online.

Events take place at the Decatur Library, 215 Sycamore Street Decatur, Georgia 30030.
The family friendly compost workshop takes place at the Oakhurst Community Garden Project, 435 Oakview Road, Decatur, GA 30030.

For more information about this series, please contact Andrea Zoppo, andrea.zoppo@yahoo.com.

See full schedule after the jump... Available courses include Your First Edible Garden, Sustainable Landscaping, Drought and Rain Gardens, Composting Workshop, House Energy Efficiency, Fall Vegetable Gardens, Recycling, and Medicinal solutions from your Kitchen

DeKalb County annexation issues

CHCA has posted an anonymous email that outlines concerns about the "cityhood" trend that is going around DeKalb county. A key concern is that as new cities incorporate residential and especially commercial property, they carve away the county's tax base, to the detriment of those left behind. And those left behind are typically residential property owners, their public school systems, and the county's service infrastructure (which includes everything from water supplies to trash collection to emergency services). To remain financially viable, lost income must be replaced and that typically translates into higher property taxes.

You can see the whole post here: http://clairmontheights.org/node/2547

MANA supported commissioner's Rader call for a moratorium on these decisions, in particular when decisions do not appear to be fully studied and understood and "destabilize" the county as a whole.

DOG FOUND [Feb 18]

Reminder: ICS lottery information [Mar 9]

Just a reminder that the application lottery for the International Community School (ICS), an elementary school that will relocate to Medlock Elementary's grounds, is open through March 9:

The International Community School (ICS), a tuition-free, public charter school, is accepting applications for the 2012-13 academic year.

Enrollment is awarded by lottery. ICS is accepting lottery applications for Kindergarten through 5th grade. The application is on the Admissions page of the ICS website and is available at: http://www.icsgeorgia.org/downloads/admissions/ICS-Application-201213.pdf 

The application deadline is Friday, March 9th. Applicants will be notified following the March 16th lottery. 

For more information, please contact the ICS Registrar at 404-499-8969  ext 11 or email registrar@icsgeorgia.org.

Click here to visit the International Community School's website

AJC reports: Lawmakers hold hearing on cell towers

Last summer, Medlock Elementary and it surrounding homes narrowly escaped being occupied by a giant cell phone tower. Other schools and neighborhoods were not so lucky.

In an attempt to prevent projects of this type,

State Rep. Karla Drenner, D-Avondale Estates, said she plans to introduce legislation banning construction of the towers near schools because of concerns about radiation safety.

For the full article (which is rather brief), see http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/lawmakers-hold-hearing-on-1351720.html