Clairmont Heights Civic Association

From OneDeKalb, Office of Neighborhood Empowerment: This workshop will: Showcase our park facilities and programs; Show you how to connect with your neighborhood park; Connect you with services offered by the recreation centers, including summer programs, Porter Sanford Performing Arts Center, parks safety and aquatics and athletics.  Highlight Cooperative Extension Services

From OneDekalb, the Office of Neighborhood Empowerment: 

From Timothy Darnell in the Decatur - Avondale Estates Patch: "At a meeting that seemed to be designed to slow the on-rushing train of cityhood, Democrats in DeKalb’s legislative delegation urged residents to consider a variety of issues before deciding to incorporate....." [Rea

From Ty Tagami in the AJC (h/t to the Patch): "When DeKalb County school officials combed through financial records over the weekend, they made an astonishing discovery: The district has millions more dollars than they’d thought....." [Read more.]

From DeKalb School Watch: "In attendance: 700-800+ citizens, mostly middle aged or older. Also noted: Mayor Emanuel Randome from Clarkston, Don Brussard (DeKalb zoning-formerly), Sen. Jason Carter, Rep. Scott Holcomb, Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, Sen. Fran Millar, Rep. Tom Taylor, Commissioner Jeff Raider, Jason Larry, Rep. Michelle Hensen, Andrea Arnold, assistant city manager for city of Decatur. City that has been established since 1823....

Emory's 2013 Commencement occurs Monday, May 13, with some related events happening the previous week.  Here's a schedule of events.  We expect that traffic will be impacted in the Clifton Corridor.

In this interview with Allegra Johnson, chair of the Dunwoody Parents Concerned About Quality Education, in the Reporter Newspapers, there is a short but clear explanation of what charter clusters are meant to accomplish and the administrative challenges of the new cities of Dunwoody or Brookhaven trying to make them independent of the county when the county is supposed to pay for them.: ".... Q. How would a “charter school cluster” work, and what would be the advantage of creating one in Dunwoody or Brookhaven?  A. A high school charter cluster — a seamless K-12, top-down high school cluster with a middle school and elementary school following in line — brings a feeder pattern together to improve the overall education of a student starting in elementary school, continuing to middle school, and ultimately receiving a high school diploma. It specifies the goals of each school in that specific feeder pattern...." [Read more.]

When the City of Brookhaven came into being, one of the services it choose to take over from the county was Parks and Recreation.  Here is an advocate's vision for parks in the new City of Brookhaven from Chad Boles, president of the friends of Briarwood Park, in a letter to the Reporter Newspapers.  Note that he and other members of a parks committee say that DeKalb owes them $7 million in funding for those parks based on the percent acreage compared to percent

From Aaron Diamant at wsbtv.com: "Channel 2 Action News has obtained a copy of a confidential report exposing pages worth of new problems uncovered by auditors at the Atlanta VA Medical Center. The new problems at the local veteran's hospital come on the heels of a Channel 2 Action News investigation on scathing federal reports, which blamed negligence and mismanagement for at least three patient deaths. Now, Atlanta VA faces an uphill climb if it wants to keep its accreditation...."  [Read more.]

From Emory: Emory Names Provost for University and New Dean; Improving Patient Arrivals at Emory Healthcare ; Emory helps launch for-credit online education program ; New Parks of Note; Traffic Calming for Mason Mill and North Oxford Road; Georgia Power Houston Chapel Substation Project.

From Joe Earle in the Reporter Newspapers: "... DeKalb County school officials are considering a proposal to allow administrators at individual high schools to seek accreditation for the school from a state agency...." [Read more]

[May 5 update from the Oak Groove festival website: Due to inclement weather, the festival has been postponed to May 19.]  Located near the intersection of Oak Grove and La Vista Roads.  From the Oak Groove festival website: "The festival will feature local businesses, artists, entertainers from the areas of Sagamore Hills, Oak Grove, Leafmore-Creek Park, Briarlake, Shallowford, Hawthorne and North Briarcliff and surrounding areas. With so many fun and interesting restaurants, shops, artists, and musicians right in our backyard, and a neighborhood esprit de corps that rivals the coolest areas of the city, we knew it was time.

From Dave Butler, local resident and county greenspace manager: This is our last work day in the habitat restoration area at Mason Mill under the grant with the Botanical Garden.  Most of the plants we installed during the winter should be coming up and we will concentrate on removing the last of the invasive mahonia, privet, and ivy along the slope.  County crews will be working there from 8:30 to 2:30 so join us when you can.