Updates on Hannah's health and ways to help

As you may know, our neighbors Hannah and Mark Rinehart need our support:

Click on the image to visit http://www.hannahrinehart.org/ for updates on Hannah's health.

If you would like to help, here are FIVE ways to do so:

1) Contact the Gwinnett County Board of Education (MySchoolBoard@gwinnett.k12.ga.us) to encourage the Board to allow fellow teachers to voluntarily donate sick leave so that Mark can remain by Hannah's side. The decision is entirely up to the Board. You can also watch a report on this issue at the WSBTV website.

2) Make a donation: within http://www.hannahrinehart.org/, you can find a direct link to Operation Appreciation, a nonprofit that helps support National Guard members and their families (Mark is in the Georgia National Guard).  You can also reach the donation button directly through the Operation Appreciation website.

3) Sign up to prepare meals for when Hannah comes home. Per a post in the Hope4Hannah Facebook page, you will need to email meals4hannah@gmail.com to get a security code that will allow you to complete the Care Calendar form. Care Calendar is "is a web based system to organize meals and other help for families during a time of illness or life changing event..."

4) September 29 fundraiser: save the date! UPDATE: read the fundraiser letter (also being coordinated via Operation Appreciation). See the Hope4Hannah Facebook page for instructions on how to donate items.

5) UPDATE: October 6: Support Hannah Rinehart Yard Sale: to take place in the Medlock Park neighborhood, 8 am - 3 pm. Follow this link for additional information.

T-SPLOST redux

Every which way but loose?

As the results of the July 31 T-SPLOST vote percolate, many wonder about Atlanta's transportation future.

Emory University asks "What's next for the Clifton Corridor?" According to Betty Willis (Sr. Associate VP for Governmental and Community Affairs), the Clifton Corridor light rail project "is further along than other transit projects in the region" and "remains a top priority in the ARC and MARTA regional transportation plans for the future." With Governor Deal in charge of prioritizing regional transit projects, and his stated interest in the Clifton Corridor as an employment and research center, VP Willis conveys hope that Clifton Corridor projects are delayed rather than throttled. VP Willis was also interviewed by the student newspaper.

The "What's next..." article encourages alternative transportation whenever possible, and highlights Zimride, a "private ride-sharing network" that serves specific work hubs. Emory,  GA Tech and Kennesaw State are part of this project; all validate user identity via their respective .edu emails.

In Advice for Passing a Massive Infrastructure Referendum, The Atlantic Cities notes that Atlanta's transportation shortcomings are shared by other cities, and extends comparisons to how other cities (e.g. Denver) adopted different strategies to advance transportation overhauls that initially faced T-SPLOST-level defeats.

The Atlanta Regional Commission website does not volunteer a post-mortem, but their Plan 2040 (pdf) is available online.

Neighborhood Watch Meeting [Aug 16]

Neighborhood Watch Meeting

Thursday August 16th 7 pm 

at North Decatur Presbyterian Church (611 Medlock Rd.)

Ms Hightower from Dekalb County will be there to answer questions and concerns.

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).