Volunteers needed @ Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve

Individuals interested in helping maintain the Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve, please contact Chris Beck directly:

The Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve has been an asset to the Medlock neighborhood for many years.  At the Preserve, we are taking a new approach to volunteer days.  Rather than having monthly work days, we are asking community organizations, churches, university groups, etc to volunteer and organize a work party one or two months out of the year.  For example, volunteers from the Rollins School of Public Health come every August and volunteer at the Preserve.  The larger Emory community volunteers at the Preserve in November. I am writing to see if MANA would be willing to organize a work party at least one month out of the year.  The day and time would be up to MANA.  MANA would just be responsible for finding 10 or more volunteers for the day. A member of the Nature Preserve board would be on hand to help supervise.Please let me know if this is something that MANA would consider or if you have any questions. Thanks,Chris BeckPresident, Clyde Shepherd Nature PreservePhone: 678-951-0105information@cshepherdpreserve.org

It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood

A beautiful day for a neighbor,

Would you be mine?

Could you be mine?

It's a neighborly day in this beautywood, 

A neighborly day for a beauty, 

Would you be mine? 

Could you be mine? ...

International Community School: Opening Day at Medlock Elementary

To continue to sing along, go to Mr. Roger's Neighborhood @ PBS.

Penalty for not sticking the landing

Photos by Russ

Hey, Mister...

... you dropped this on the corner 

of Gaylemont and Wood Trail.

International Community School readies for first day of school [Aug 13]

As previously reported, the International Community School (ICS) has signed a 10-year lease for Medlock Elementary. ICS is a K-5 charter and IB World School that serves ~400 DeKalb County children; enrollment is determined by a lottery (also see ICS's admission policy). Administrators have been busy in the last several weeks, readying the building and surroundings for the coming school year. A work day with volunteers took place on August 4 and another is scheduled for August 11.

The full school schedule for 2012-2013 is available online; here are some key dates of interest to MANA residents:

August 9 (1-3pm)	Registration Day
August 10 (5-7pm)	Registration Day
August 13	First day of school
December 20	First semester ends
January 8	Second semester begins
May 24	Second semester ends

For information about the International Community School Parent Teacher Staff Organization (IPTSO), please visit their website (currently under construction).

Supporting Hannah and Mark Rinehart

Please visit http://www.hannahrinehart.org/

Our neighbors Hannah and Mark are going through a very challenging time. Hannah, a cancer survivor, is currently in critical condition following an infection that led to septic shock and several amputations. Her husband Mark is constantly by her side.

If you would like to learn more and find how to help, please visit http://www.hannahrinehart.org.

You may send your letters of support via email, or by mail to
Hope 4 Hannah
7019 Surrey Drive
Woodstock GA 30189

Hannah's Facebook wall includes detailed updates by Mark. There is also a Hope4Hannah Facebok support page.

Update: follow this link for ways to help.

T-SPLOST defeated

The T-SPLOST vote was defeated across all ten counties that voted on it. In DeKalb, the vote was 52% against and 48% in favor. The vote sought a 1% sales tax over 10 years to focus on transportation projects around the metro Atlanta area. Detractors argued it didn't sufficiently address their given concerns (traffic vs. transit), that certain regions were underserved, and questioned if a 1% tax is the best way to address local transportation problems.

A team of AJC reporters sums up both the election's results and behind-the-scenes tensions leading to the T-SPLOST vote:

"Kasim Reed, who fought years for the referendum as a legislator and as Atlanta mayor, rallied supporters gathered at a hotel in downtown Atlanta. "The voters have decided," Reed said. "But tomorrow I'm going to wake up and work just as hard to change their minds." 

Gov. Nathan Deal's office told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution he would now take a central role in transportation planning for the state's metro areas, and he would not support a sequel to Tuesday's referendum. . . ."

"Re-playing 40 years of Atlanta history, controversy built instantly around the proposed expansion of mass transit. Some loved it, some hated it. ... Deeper insecurities were at play as well. A poll conducted by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution last year found that 42 percent of respondents believed new mass transit brings crime." Continue reading @ AJC.

Jim Galloway at the AJC reports on what the Governor's above comment means:

"... traffic planners in regions across the state will be quickly asked to resubmit lists of road and rail proposals that require state and federal funding – figuring in an 8 percent decrease in federal funding. The governor has veto power over each list."

"The governor will not move forward without the consent GDOT,” Riley said – very carefully. Deal will court approval from the DOT board, but he intends to keep the initiative. The governor recently appointed a trusted aide, Toby Carr, as the DOT’s planning director, giving him another layer of control over what transportation projects are funded. 

So the Atlanta Regional Commission will soon have to clear its wish lists with the governor. ARC Chairman Tad Leithead said he’ll be happy to do so. “I think the entire state would welcome anything the governor does to keep transportation moving,” he said."

Local election results

In addition to the T-SPLOST vote, other races were closely watched in our neighborhood. Commissioner Kathie Gannon was re-elected and so were Burrell Ellis (CEO) and Claudia Lawson (tax commissioner).  For Board of Education elections results, see below. All images courtesy of the AJC.

Image courtesy of the AJC.

And on a topic near and dear to our neighborhood: a non-binding referendum on whether the county should allow cell phone towers to be built on school property drew a clear answer:

Image courtesy of the AJC.