Image by neighbor Maria Budhwani

Icey pastels

Earlier today..

Welcome to the ice age.... So far we've had sleet and rain and ice is accumulating, with the forecast calling for more of that.

~11:20am,
via http://outagemap.georgiapower.com/external/default.html

The GA Power Outage map shows outages around the metro area and beyond. Thankfully, the neighborhood remains powered up.

We extend our thanks to GA Power and County employees and health care providers who are out there performing maintenance and repairs and making sure everyone is safe.

Help expand the Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve boardwalk

Click either image to enlarge.

Sean Fahey is constructing a boardwalk at the Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve for his Boy Scout Eagle project. The plan is approved and Sean is now accepting donations to cover the necessary materials. If you would like to help, please email Sean directly.

Near Medlock: a view from 1954

Neighbor Greg has added a 1954 view of the North Decatur & Clairmont Roads intersection, circa 1954. The image was shared by Leonard Thibadeau.

North Decatur and Clairmont Roads' intersection, circa 1954.
The Atlanta Time Machine has a high-resolution version of this photo.

Thanks, Greg, for setting up a Medlock-centric 1950's page to gather these images as they become available.

Theresa Same recognized by the Civic Association Network (CAN)

The Civic Association Network (CAN) has honored Theresa Same (MANA zoning chair) with its

"Nuclear Negotiator Award: for keepin’ the fuel bundles cool in a crisis"

Theresa Same (third from the left), recipient of the Nuclear Negotiator Award from CAN.
Other awardees were recognized for responsiveness to constituents (Jeff Rader, 4th from the left) and for being active in helping fine-tune developing legislation. See the award nomination for additional information.

The award recognizes various categories of volunteers "for service above and beyond the call of duty." That only begins to describe Theresa's tireless contributions to MANA, nearby neighborhoods, and the County at large. Theresa has been instrumental in MANA's leadership, in negotiating with developers, and in helping neighbors address concerns with nearby businesses (and sometimes, even with one another). Nominations were judged by Commissioner Kathie Gannon, Commissioner Stan Watson and Senator Jason Carter.

Congratulations, Theresa, and thank you for all you have done and continue to do. Your advocacy for the needs of our residents and your dedication to the overall improvement of our community are truly formidable. 

Blueprint to Redefine DeKalb County [Feb 11]

Commissioner Kathie Gannon invites the community to discuss a new Blueprint for DeKalb County:
DATE:     Tuesday February 11, 2014
TIME:      6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
PLACE:   Decatur Library, Ground Floor Meeting Room.  Enter from parking lot in the rear.

You can review the Blueprint document here. This Blueprint is a call to action in the following areas of County governance:

operations: clarify administrative procedures

ethics: limits on vendor contributions to candidates, appointing an auditor, and developing a process so that the Board of Ethics is NOT appointed by the officers the Board is meant to scrutinize

elections: explore term limits on incumbents and encourage voter participation

governmental structure: address existing processes governing cityhood formation and annexation; consider moratorium on new cities for the current legislative session

HOST sales tax: revise HOST legislation (because existing rules allow a pattern of HOST tax allocation that is leaving the County without the means to maintain services for cities and unincorporated areas alike)

for owl lovers

Love owls? The Decatur Public Library is hosting a special exhibit titled “Owls, the Symbol of Wisdom and Knowledge.” Many items in the collection belonged to the late Lillian W. White, a librarian with a great fondness for owls. See additional details about the exhibit here.