Student projects on invasive plant species

H/T to CHCA for a link to videos discussing invasive species at Mason Mill Park, created as part of a GA Tech class:

"The filmmakers were Georgia Tech students enrolled in Dr. Cara Gormally’s Biology 1511 laboratory.  The films capped a semester-long project investigating the biological effects of the Urban Habitat Restoration Project at Mason Mill Park, part of an initiative to remove invasive species and restore native habitats in public parks and other areas in metro-Atlanta." Enjoy the rest @ floraphile blog 

Spring Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event [Apr 6]

... via email from ONE DeKalb - Office of Neighborhood Empowerment

photo credit: ONE DeKalb email

Saturday, April 6th, 2013
8:00 am-Noon

DeKalb County Sanitation Division | map |
Central Transfer Station
3720 Leroy Scott Drive
Decatur, GA 30030

We expect long lines!!  Reduce your wait time by registering!

To register send your name and phone number via email to kdb@dekalbcountyga.gov.

DeKalb County welcomes county residents to participate in the 2013 Spring Household Hazardous Waste Event.  The event offers residents an opportunity to dispose of their household hazardous wastes properly, free of charge.

Household hazardous waste is classified as products that contain potentially dangerous chemicals and are no longer used. These products should not be mixed with regular trash and can be potentially harmful to the environment if not disposed of properly.

DeKalb County encourages residents to take advantage of this opportunity to clear their homes of unneeded or unused household hazardous waste and to help keep county landfills and the environment safe for everyone.

Items accepted:
Aerosols
Mercury
Batteries
Adhesives
Flammables
Lawn-care products
Automotive products
Fluorescent bulbs
Photo Chemicals
Hobby and artists supplies
Paints and paint-related products
Cleaners and swimming pool chemicals
Please make sure to bring only items accepted on the list above or you will be turned away.

PLEASE NOTE!

The event is free for DeKalb residents; IDs are required and early arrival is recommended. Residents are limited to 10 gallons of paint per vehicle. No commercial vehicles will be allowed. The following are lists of items that will not be accepted at the event.

Items NOT accepted:
Bio-hazardous/Bio-medical waste
Agricultural waste
Ammunition
Explosives
Pharmaceuticals
Radioactive materials
Non-hazardous waste

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."