Month: September 2009

Winnona Park Car Stolen; College Ave CITGO Station Burglarized

DWAFD sends in this message originally posted on the Winnona Park message board.  Not sure of the author.

Sometime late last night or early this morning, a car was stolen on the 100 block of Shadowmoor; the victim had left the car unlocked. Also, during the same period, the CITGO station on the corner of Commerce and E. College was burglarized. The theives somehow jimmied the window behind the ice machine outside and they ran off with the store’s suppply of cigarettes.

As the neighborhood watch person for this area, I once again caution never to leave the car (or garage windows or doors) unlocked for any reason an also consider purchasing an anti-theft device for the car. Winnona Park is normally a safe neighborhood so incidents like this are very disturbing. Let’s keep an eye out for each other; we can’t watch 24 hours a day but always call the police if you see or hear anything suspicious. I’d rather they investigate and find nothing wrong then to ignore it and find out that a crime has been committed.

Some Forms of Renewable Energy Still Make Difficult Demands on Environment

In some ways, this morning’s NY Times story reminds me of the clamor over ethanol a couple years back.  In the race to find the cure to our black gold addiction, some of the most highly publicized methods for producing “renewable energy” are still strongly at odds with nature.

With ethanol, it was the sticky wicket that to produce corn at such high volumes you needed petroleum-based fertilizers to artificially nourish the nutrient-starved ground.  So, you really weren’t finding a renewable resource so much as further subsidizing an already big, fat corn industry.

When it comes to solar power, in the public’s mind, “efficiency” is measured only by how limitations of your power source.  With solar power, it’s good it’ll the sun goes dark.  It’s the ultimate long-term, if not truly “renewable” power source.

Great, right? Eh…

Here is an inconvenient truth about renewable energy: It can sometimes demand a huge amount of water. Many of the proposed solutions to the nation’s energy problems, from certain types of solar farms to biofuel refineries to cleaner coal plants, could consume billions of gallons of water every year.

“When push comes to shove, water could become the real throttle on renewable energy,” said Michael E. Webber, an assistant professor at the University of Texas in Austin who studies the relationship between energy and water.

Conflicts over water could shape the future of many energy technologies. The most water-efficient renewable technologies are not necessarily the most economical, but water shortages could give them a competitive edge.

Solar demands for millions of gallons of water are currently only a real issue in drier areas of the country where a general lack of solar-hogs (a.k.a. “trees”) exist.  The high-water demand gets desert farmers and residents angry that solar is laying claim to the one scarce, key component of their livelihood.  And while it’s kind of paradoxical that talks of “renewable” energy are taking place in locations where water-transport for ANY use is insanely inefficient, the reality of the situation is that renewable energy is supposed to be the trump card to turn our weak economic hand into a 21st century winner and there are still many hurdles, other than just funding, to overcome.

CDC To Study H1N1 Spread in the City of Decatur

From Decatur PD’s Juanchella Francis…

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are leading an investigation on the spread of influenza-like illness in the City of Decatur. The state of Georgia experienced early cases of H1N1 and they want to evaluate the extent of disease in the community. The investigation will allow them to rapidly direct public health messages to the rest of the U.S. regarding influenza.

On Thursday, September 24th, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention started surveying a random sample of households in the City of Decatur and hope to finish the investigation within 1 to 2 weeks. Eight teams of 2 people each will conduct the surveys.

This type of investigation is generally considered an emergency public health response. Therefore, no door-to-door solicitation permit is required.

I wonder if viruses spread differently in more interactive communities like Decatur and say a Gwinnett subdivision. Less interaction could be beneficial for once.  But that’s only true if your kids are home-schooled!

After Sounding Siren for Flood Warning, Agnes Scott Reviews Protocol

Associate Dean of Students, Michelle Hall, forwards this official response from Agnes Scott’s Interim Communications Director, Jennifer Owen, after I inquired to the reasons for activating the tornado siren for a flash flood warning late in the evening on September 20th.

The Agnes Scott siren was activated around midnight on Sept. 20, when the dispatcher on duty received an emergency weather notification from DeKalb County. Members of the college and Decatur community are accustomed to hearing the siren during a tornado warning, but there may be other rare occasions when it is activated. While it was the dispatcher’s intent was to alert people to the dangers of the severe weather, we understand the nature of threat may not have been clearly communicated and that some members of our community were alarmed unnecessarily as a result. The college is reviewing its protocol to ensure that the use of the siren is always in line with the nature of the threat.

Fire at Saba’s Emory Location

A tough blow.  Shane at Saba writes in…

Saba in Emory caught on fire last week and we will be closed for a few months.  While we are rebulding, we are going to try our hand at lunch at the Oakhurst Village location and offer delivery to Oakhurst and Emory Mon-Fri 12-2 and 6pm-9pm every day.  If you could help spread the word I would be very grateful.

Sporadic Posting This Week

I’m out and about in the world this week, so posting probably won’t be as “clockwork” as usual.   But I will be checking in and posting, so don’t hesitate to send in your news tips!

Maybe we can do a “guess the location” later in the week as well.

Little Azio Closes For Good Sunday

Jill writes in…

Litte Azio in Decatur is closing. The last night is Sunday, 27 Sept. We had dinner there tonight and Terrence the GM let us know. Another victim of not enough business to keep the lights on. Gift cards and coupons will be honored by all of the other locations.