State Board of Education to webcast meeting with DeKalb BOE meeting [Jan 17]

State Representative Scott Holcomb's website reports that the meeting will be webcast. The meeting starts at 1pm and you can tune in at http://www.gadoe.org/External-Affairs-and-Policy/State-Board-of-Education/Pages/Live-Webcasts.aspx.

Note that the GA DOE website states you will need Real Player to tune in...

Click to go to GA DOE website.

As to why the DeKalb BOE faces the GA DOE, see

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/dekalb-school-board-tries-to-hang-on-to-jobs/nTy33/

http://www.medlockpark.org/2013/01/ga-doe-summons-dekalb-co-school-board.html

http://www.medlockpark.org/2012/12/sacs-finds-little-evidence-of-boards.html

Minor flooding watch for DeKalb County creeks

There is a flood watch in effect for DeKalb County through 7:00 PM EST, Thu., Jan 17, 2013:

SOILS ARE WET IN NORTH GEORGIA DUE TO RECENT RAINFALL. THIS WILL HELP IN PRODUCING RUNOFF AS THE RAINFALL AMOUNTS CONTINUE TO ACCUMULATE THROUGH LATE TONIGHT. MOSTLY MINOR FLOODING OF SMALLER CREEKS... STREAMS... AND LOW LYING FLOOD PRONE AREAS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH SOME MODERATE FLOODING IN LOCALIZED AREAS. . . . A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ON CURRENT FORECASTS.

Apologies for the all caps.... the National Weather Service always types like that.

MLK Service Project @ Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve [Jan 21]

Monday, January 21
9am - noon
2590 Pine Bluff Dr., Decatur GA 30033  map

Here's a chance for a service project very close to home at the Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve! Please come help remove dead privet from Pine Bluff and drag it to the street to be chipped, clear some ivy from trees in that area, and mulch trails. There will be some tools for volunteers to use but if you have them, bring your own gloves and maybe some loppers.

Redux of cityhood forum

Jonathan Cribbs at Decatur Patch has a report on the January 8 meeting on DeKalb County's cityhood movements. So far, the discussion seems defined by uncertainty and vagueness with a sprinkling of animal references. One speaker claimed to not "have a dog in this fight"; another explained that support for the establishment of Dunwoody was directly linked to former DeKalb CEO Vernon Jones's being "such an ass." Read it all at DeKalb Leaders Offer Conflicting Views at Cityhood Forum.

ADDENDUM:
Extensive notes of the meeting Q&A available at CHCA.

Castaway

Creekside, a castaway is improvising,

New Decatur mayor on annexation

Ralph Ellis at Patch has part I of an interview where newly elected Decatur Mayor Jim Baskett  comments on the City's annexation prospects. In his analysis, annexation is "one way to postpone the worst of the crisis" and protect City of Decatur schools from losing quality due to ever-growing demand (from parents who want access to Decatur schools to escape the DeKalb County School System). As to securing support for annexation from the legislature, he has found no "expression of enthusiasm" from the legislature or the County.

With candor and humor, Mr. Baskett also states his desire to build a better relationship with DeKalb County. This is most encouraging.

"I’m kind of working from a clean slate. They don’t know me well enough ... to have a really bad opinion of me. So maybe we can start to build on some relationships that I do have and work toward some better outcomes and get our relationship better with the county. That would be important."  ... Continue reading @ Patch

To build upon the Mayor's paraphrasing of John Donne, we are not islands. DeKalb County's problems will not be solved through isolationism but rather by building relationships, showing leadership, and striving for transparency and equitable solutions.

Congratulations, and best of luck to Mayor Baskett.

ADDENDUM:  Part II of the interview is now available at Decatur Patch.

Golden Corral @ North DeKalb Mall opening in February

Golden Corral, coming soon to a mall near you. Restaurant façade as seen from Macy's parking lot.

According to a post in the neighborhood Facebook page, the new Golden Corral at North DeKalb Mall will open in mid-February (11-18ish). We first heard that they were coming to the area in 2011.

Golden Corral is one of those franchises that inspires either smiles or sputtering disapproval. Their website features a lot of information about who they are, why they do things the way they do, and of course, menus.

Welcome to the neighborhood and here's to hoping Golden Corral is part of North DeKalb Mall's revival.