Fall Festival @ Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve [Sept 26]

Saturday, September 26 

5 - 9 pm 

20th Anniversary Harvest Festival 

at the Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve

• music by the Reagor Brothers Band
• crafts and activities for kids
• bonfire and s’mores
• bake sale by Girl Scout Troop 12580
• food available for purchase from the Streatery food truck (100% beef franks, pork, beef, and chicken sausages, & veggie dogs)
• beer from Three Taverns Brewery for those with a CSNP beer glass

To purchase tickets, go to the Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve website. Advance tickets are $12.50 for adults (includes beer glass) and $5 for children (no glass, sorry kids!). At the door, it's cash only: $15 for adults, $5 for children.

The  Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve is an urban oasis located at 2580 Pine Bluff Dr., Decatur, GA 30033. It was featured in Hiking Atlanta's Hidden Forests: Intown and Out.

Late summer is a great time to visit and see wildflowers in bloom on the outer loop of the trail. Here are some views from about a week ago.

Seedbox flower...

...and its namesake seed box. Each seed capsule is about 1/4" wide.
Tip the seed box and tiny seeds tumble out of the opening like salt from of a salt shaker. 

Web worm moth on a goldenrod.

Cardinal flower.

A small white morning glory surrounded by joe pie weed.

Asiatic dayflower lasts as long as the name implies.
Also known as mouse ears.

Late in the season, a few jewelweeds are still blooming

Sowing next year's wildflowers...

Free pet adoptions in September!

High Intake Levels Prompts Fee-Waived Promotion at DeKalb County Animal Services, Fulton County Animal Services and LifeLine Animal Project

ATLANTA, GA -- (August 31, 2015)   LifeLine Animal project invites you to celebrate fall and save lives through their “Fall in Love” promotion.  Due to the high number of animals coming into DeKalb County Animal Services (DCAS) and Fulton County Animal Services (FCAS), throughout September all dogs, puppies, cats and kittens may be adopted for FREE!

In August, DCAS took in over 756 animals and FCAS took in over 660 animals.  FCAS Director Lara Hudson is optimistic that the “Fall in Love” promotion will result in many homeless pets finding their forever homes.  “With 30 plus animals entering the shelter daily, we urgently need public support to help us save lives, and we're hopeful that the public will step up and adopt from us” says Lara.

LifeLine Animal Project CEO Rebecca Guinn says that offering fee-waived adoptions is a great way to increase adoption rates.  “Free adoptions tend to create a buzz of excitement and bring more people into shelters,” she says.  “According to numerous studies, fee-waived promotions increase adoptions without compromising the quality of care that the animals receive.”
All September, adopters will receive a dog or cat that has been spayed or neutered, has had all vaccines and is microchipped – a $250 value – for FREE!  Adoption counselors will be on hand at both shelters to ensure the animals are being placed in good homes.

To view animals available for adoption, or for the shelter’s address and phone number, please go to FCAS or DCAS or visit us online www.fultonanimalservices.com/adoptable-animals or  www.dekalbanimalservices.com/adopt-a-pet.

 About LifeLine Animal Project
Founded in 2002, LifeLine Animal Project is Atlanta’s leading nonprofit organization providing lifesaving solutions to end the killing of healthy and treatable animals in county shelters, promote animal welfare and prevent pet overpopulation. As the managing organization for DeKalb County Animal Services and Fulton County Animal Services, LifeLine has dramatically increased adoption rates and decreased euthanasia rates by more than half at both county facilities.  The organization also operates two low-cost spay/neuter clinics, which have performed 85,000 surgeries to date, its own no-kill cat shelter and a rehabilitative, no-kill shelter for dogs and cats. Other outreach efforts include its Catlanta trap-neuter-return program, the first and largest in metro Atlanta, for stray and feral cats.  For more information, please visit www.lifelineanimal.org.

SAT scores improve in DeKalb County

The AJC reports that DeKalb saw big gains in SAT scores:

"The 2014-15 mean total score was about 1332, more than 100 points higher than the 2013-14 score of 1228, the analysis found."

Across the state, mean scores improved by 5 points.

The schools with highest mean scores in the DeKalb County School District were DeKalb School of the Arts (1722), Chamblee Charter High School (1663) and Lakeside High (1580). Druid Hills High School posted a mean score of 1400 (vs. 1324 in 2014).

Nation-wide, the combined mean score was 1490. For scores on all state high schools, see the AJC SAT database at http://www.myajc.com/local-education/2015-georgia-sat-scores/

Clairmont Road lane closures will cause traffic delays [Sept 2 and 3]

via Emory News Center, posted on 9/1/2015:

Railroad work will close three lanes of Clairmont Road on Wednesday, Sept. 2, and Thursday, Sept. 3, near Emory's Clairmont Campus.

The lanes will be closed from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. each day, weather permitting, so that CSX Railroad can change cross ties on the railroad overpass, according to an advisory from the Georgia Department of Transportation.

The closures will stretch from Desmond Drive to Starvine Way and are expected to create traffic congestion in the area. Starvine Way is the main entrance to Clairmont Campus.

"The lane closures will require a traffic shift and are likely to result in delays," the GDOT notes. "Motorists are advised to exercise caution while driving in the area."

1744 Scott Blvd: developer proposes restaurant/bar

The following notice for a special land use permit was distributed to some MANA residents. 

The proposed development raises many concerns. 

We encourage all to attend the August 31 community meeting, scheduled by the developer, to take place at 7pm at 1744 Scott Blvd. 

Proposed development at 1744 Scott Blvd.
Note proximity to residential areas (Medlock neighborhood and Tuxworth Springs community).

Lost beagle now found :) [Aug 18]

Molly's home, yay!

Suburban Plaza Walmart schematics

LEFT: a schematic recently shared by Walmart.                    RIGHT:  current state of construction (2nd week August 2015).

Walmart in progress -- as seen from Medlock Road.

Walmart recently shared the images below with the Cross-Neighborhoods Committee, all relating to the new store (#3118) at Suburban Plaza. Click on any image to enlarge it.

A quick recap:

• The store is projected to open in November 2015. 
• Walmart reserves the right to open 24 hours/day but the current plan is to open 6am - midnight. 
• 150,000 sq ft super center that will offer merchandise and groceries.
• The store will not have an optical center or a tire/lube center
• The store will not carry guns but will carry ammunition
• the store will include a small garden center with some outdoor and seasonal merchandise
• the store will employ 300 people. Hiring for this store is now in progress (scroll to end of this post)*
• trucks servicing Walmart will enter from  North Decatur Rd. at the new traffic signal, proceed to the back of the building and on to the loading docks there. The trucks can back directly into the loading docks. Trucks will exit onto Medlock Road, and proceed to Scott Blvd. We should expect 3-5 trucks per day
• improving the intersection and the light timing (for Medlock Rd.) are part of every discussion

For our previous posts on the ongoing revitalization of Suburban Plaza and MANA's involvement in the planning process, please click here.

Uncropped schematic of the Suburban Plaza Walmart as seen from  Medlock Rd (at the Scott Blvd and North Decatur Rd. intersection). Also, an aspirational view of what the intersection would look like without all those overhead power lines and traffic lights...

Description of finishes for each view (front and rear of the store, left and right sides). The front elevation faces North Decatur Road. The right elevation faces Medlock Road. Entrances to the underground parking can be seen on the left and right views (east and west of the building, respectively). 

Overall Suburban Plaza site plan, includes Walmart and other retail. Ten-foot wide multi-use path
along North Decatur Road is highlighted (bottom left).

Detail of exterior finishes, lower-level (underground) parking garage and traffic patterns around the Walmart store.

 _____
* Hiring contact information provided by Walmart is as follows:
phone: 404-471-1457, 404-471-1458; fax is 404-471-1460.
The hiring site is 2179 Lawrenceville Hwy, Decatur GA, 30033
Also see this DeKalb Workforce hiring event scheduled for August 12, 13 and 14, 2015.