DeKalb Mall Community Garden (and soon veggie market?)

Go on with your bad self, Mr. Stripey!

The DeKalb Mall Community garden is such a neat endeavor. Per a recent announcement via the North DeKalb Mall e-newsletter, it looks like we will be able to buy their fresh produce later this year:

By the way, have you seen North DeKalb Mall's Community Garden?  It is located next to Stivers Subaru.  There are 30 garden plots being farmed by refugee families and community groups.  As a result, look for a Mall Produce Stand coming summer 2013 - fresh fruits and vegetables - yum! 

The garden is also working on a more informative website and the latest updates are available here. Note that they have posted a document with refugee stories, a list of equipment they need, and how to sign up as a volunteer. As a testament to their success, there is now a waiting list for plots.

Charter cluster maneuver

In his AJC article "Druid Hills parents may use charter law to gain control over school cluster", Ty Tagami updates us on on how some parents are trying to improve local schools by taking more direct control over decisions that affect their schools:

The parents are empowered by a 2010 law that allows schools autonomy if they commit to improved performance. It was aimed at larger, mainly urban school districts, since many rural systems have only one high school. DeKalb is Georgia’s third largest system, with 21 high schools and 99,000 students. 

“It allows for decisions about education to be made closer to the student,” said Dan Weber, a former state senator who co-sponsored the law. “They know what their needs are, and the needs vary dramatically across a county as large as DeKalb.” 

The proposal for the Druid Hills cluster would make an International Baccalaureate program the centerpiece of the high school and at Druid Hills Middle. Five elementary schools are included: Avondale, Briar Vista, Fernbank, Laurel Ridge and McClendon.

As to the actual process...

The parents and staff at the affected schools must write a charter, then hold a vote with at least 60 percent approval. It’s up to those affected to determine how much autonomy they want. The cluster, which would not get any additional taxpayer money, can manage some services on its own while looking to the district for others, such as busing, food service and human resources administration. 

Read the whole thing @ AJC!

Real estate update

by Judy and Stephen Perras
via Medlock Matters

Good News!
2012 was the best year for real estate since 2006. The spring market started early and activity did not let up until year end. Spurred by the lowest inventory levels in years and coupled with continuing record low interest rates and the return of buyer confidence, the market saw increases in both volume and price. Sales of detached single family homes in the metro area increased 9% over 2011 and prices were up 5%. Active inventory dropped 44%.

Wren wisdom:
"Small houses never
stopped any of us from
spreading our wings."

Our neighborhood has seen— and continues to see—multiple offers on many homes bidding up the final sales price. Homes that show well and are priced appropriately are selling fast. Demand for in- town homes in convenient, desirable communities like ours is strong.

In this area, we did not feel the impact of the 2008 crisis until 2010 when a few foreclosures and short sales started showing up. 2011 was a tough year with home prices hovering around the 2001 level. In 2012 we rallied and prices are moving back up. 78 homes were sold in the MANA area last year with prices ranging from the low $100’s for a foreclosure to $272,500 on the high end. Foreclosures and short sales are now in decline. The demand for rentals continues to be strong.

In short, the Atlanta metro area is transitioning to a seller’s market—especially for in-town homes priced under $500,000— our neighborhood. And that’s the good news!

Annexation had no sponsors

DecaturMetro posted a photo from March 21's AJC (print version) stating that Decatur's annexation bid "never got a sponsor in the General Assembly."

The brief announcement appears online: AJC page.

Keeping up with cityhood

It takes a village to keep track of all these proposals... luckily the Civic Association Network (CAN) is doing a great job at serving this information.

MANA VP Lynn recommends that we go to the CAN website, then click on "Government: Municipal" on the left side of that page for relevant information about various cityhood proposals and meetings. Lynn writes: "If people scroll down under "City of Lakeside/Briarcliff," they'll find notes from last night's meeting under SHCA_BWCA_130319.pdf at that location [you may view online or download the file]. There's also an announcement of an April 1 meeting. This site is the best source for keeping up with the various proposals, announcements, and documents on this issue."

It's the bee's knees, but not literally

Happy Spring, y'all! Weather's warming up, some days anyway, and the bugs are waking up. Exhibit A: honey bee on peach blossom. Notice her pollen baskets (golden bundles attached to her rear legs).

Peachy, to us. What a bee sees is quite different.

Pollen pantaloons: always in style.

As explained here, bees have two rows of hairs on their rear legs that create a nifty spot for collecting pollen. As bees visit flowers, they get covered in pollen (thanks to good old static cling). To collect that pollen, the bee grooms herself and moistens the pollen grains with honey or flower nectar, and into the pollen basket they go. When the bee returns to the hive, she will transfer the pollen bundle (now called bee pollen or bee bread) to a fellow worker bee, who is responsible for storing it. Bee pollen is an important food source for the hive, and a marketable product for bee pollen thieves (just kidding!).

In contrast: a very clean bee, baskets empty, on a dandelion -- a source of nectar for bees when other sources a scarce. Great minds think alike -- people make wine out of dandelions when other sources are scarce. 

Support our Medlock pollinators, whether wild or domesticated. Here's a very comprehensive list of plants that add beauty and feed ze buzz-buzzs.

Static harvest: the reason bees don't use dryer sheets.
Black-eyed susans attract many beneficial insects and later in the season, goldfinches feed on their seeds.
Click on this link for a "Yes" answer to "Is there anything goldfinches actually blend into?"

Bluegrass music & arts festival @ Stone Mountain [Mar 23-24]

Visit the Stone Mountain Village website for details, including the music and dance schedule.