Month: August 2011

Sharrows Story Has Legs

Who knew that a “paint on a road” story could have a part II?

First, in case you missed it here, the city has posted a detailed explanation of their sharrow plan-o.  Here’s a blurb…

Ponce de Leon and Sycamore Drive were chosen for sharrows because they are streets that provide important connections through town and have a wide variety of users on the street. Ultimately, the city will continue to place sharrows on all the streets in the Decatur Bicycle Network that call for an “on-street facility” and do not meet the requirements for bike lanes.

And then this report from Sharon this afternoon…

I was just interviewed (on my bike) by one of the local news channels about the sharrows on Ponce. (Maybe CBS, but I’m not sure. And of course I didn’t think to ask when they’d be airing the clip.) Hopefully they interviewed people who are better at thinking on their feet than I am, as I didn’t have much to say… but I did give props to DecaturMetro when they were surprised I had heard of a sharrow.

UPDATE:  Here’s the link to the video.

Decatur Decides Not To Pursue the Golf Cart Option

Patch reports this morning that – unlike its city neighbor to the east – Decatur will not pursue an ordinance to make golf carting around town legal because the state legislation makes it too restrictive.  As a result of not being able to drive them on state highways “residents couldn’t drive them on such well-traveled routes as College Avenue, South Candler Street, parts of Commerce Drive, Scott Boulevard and Clairemont Avenue”, according to Patch.

Which – as the City Manager points out in the article – would essentially trap golf carts in their respective neighborhoods, limited from crossing the illegal state highway moats surrounding them.

With golf carts off the table, it is hard to see how Decatur will ever become the “city within a golf course” as detailed in the 2010 Strategic Plan or crack into Money Magazine’s coveted Best Places to Live issue, which each year generally features a blurb on cart cruisin’ Peachtree city residents!  (Please note: both the facts and my exasperation in that last sentence are manufactured.)

Photo courtesy of Peachtree City’s website

Superintendent Authorizes Additional Positions for CSD Kindergarten Classes

From Superintendent Phyllis Edwards’ note to the School Board for the upcoming Sept. 6th meeting…

I am also authorizing five additional positions to offset the numbers in the Kindergarten classes where we saw a great deal of growth for this year. These can be provided within the current approved budget for 2011-2012. The Kindergartens already have one teacher and one paraprofessional. This will provide an additional 1-2 at each K-3 school to be consistent with Oakhurst. Our current adult:student ratio at Clairemont, Glennwood, and Winnona Park is 1:12. These additions will bring the ratio in line with the Kindergartens at Oakhurst: 1:10. This solution is preferable to trying to decide students who should come out of a current class to make up a new one.

Additionally, an updated chart attached to the Superintendent’s note shows that enrollment has actually increased a bit (17 students) since the start of the school year.  Click the chart below to enlarge.

Decatur Book Festival Plans??

So, a little thing known as the “Decatur Book Festival” is taking over downtown Decatur this weekend.

What is it?  It’s just the largest independent book festival in the daggum country!  Let me hit you with the logo for asking such a ridiculous question. Kablamo!

Anyway, the author list and event schedule has been up for a while now, so I’m wondering which events DM readers are excited about this year.  I can’t ask Daren because, well, he’s always running around the city sweating these babies off…

BTW, did you see Terra’s Q&A in the AJC yesterday?  You did?  Great.  Now back to work!

Feet (and bare legs) photo courtesy of the Asian Cajuns

Blocking the Bike Lane

Dave writes in…

Have you noticed how the bike lines on Trinity and Ponce de Leon between Trinity and Scott are used as turn lanes or passing lanes? I’ve lost count of the number of times I was turning left off of Ponce onto Drexel and a long line of cars would go around me in the bike lane. My step son rides his bike from DHS home along Trinity and Ponce, and is constantly telling me stories about how there are people using the bike lanes as turn lanes into one of the churches or worse, just parked there while they wait to pick somebody up, depriving him the use of the bike lane.

Sapori di Napoli Now Open

Word on the street is that Sapori di Napoli – with its promise of “eat at the way Italians eat, to drink the way Italians drink, and to enjoy the way Italians enjoy…” is now open and serving its much anticipated pizza pies at 314 Church Street. This picture seems to confirm the opening date is today.  (Also, UrbanDaddy reported the Monday opening too!)

What are you waiting for?  Head on over and report back!

Photo courtesy of Sapori di Napoli website