CSD Mom’s Reconfiguration Blog tips us off to the fact that the CSD Reconfiguration Committee has recommended Option #13 (renovate 5th Avenue into 4/5 academy) to the school board.

Sure enough, the recommendation is now up on the CSD website (pdf) and it looks like #13 won in a landslide.

As the letter states, after Option 13, both the Renfroe addition and the Westchester renovation were the second choice, while further expanding Glennwood to accomidate the growing 4/5 academy ranked third.

As previously stated, Option 13 renovates 5th Avenue Elementary to house the city’s 4/5 academy and returns Glennwood to a K-3.  Keeping IB and racial diversity were the key concerns leading to the decision, along with maintaining current grade configurations and building a “state-of-the-art facility.”   The stated main concerns with a 5th Ave renovation have been the cost (around $10 million) and the non-central location.

The Board of Ed meets next month to vote on the committee’s recommendation.

Click the pic for a closer look

Steve sends in a pic documenting the creation of  a “crazy new fence” that will soon grace the patio of Java Monkey.  He notes its a Kris Gunderson design.

Oh man…what delicious blog fodder!

If you thought a massive budget deficit and a drawn out fight over capital improvement funds that bleeds legal fees aren’t insulting enough, take a gander at DeKalb’s latest budget tourniquet!

You see, while you may have heard rumors about some sort of “slowdown” in the national housing market, DeKalb insists that things aren’t all that bad on the east side of Atlanta.  How did they come to this obscene conclusion?  Its the result of a “very detailed analysis” done by the assessor’s office.  So detailed, you or I wouldn’t even hope to understand it.  So please, stop embarrassing yourself by trying.

So, while zip codes like 30032 continue to watch their real estate values fall through the floor, DeKalb County politicians can rest easy that they won’t have to raise taxes on an already struggling population.

No difficult explanations or interventions on poor spending practices.  All that can’t be skipped, thanks to a “very detailed analysis.”

Perhaps if the AJC didn’t pretend like it was the only game in town, everyone else wouldn’t jump up quite so quickly when they actually gave a blogger credit.

Oh and P.S., how do you know when your newspaper is turning into a glorfied blog?

When they post things like “Clermont Lounge For Sale!” -  implying the strip club could close – and then they retract with an article about how it won’t close as a result of a sale.

Welcome to knee-jerk gossip land.  Make sure to try the hat-tip.

Decatur PD sent out two releases this morning.

The first announces an arrest on Monday in two Oakhurst burglaries that took place along Oakview Road last week.  According to the release, “Some stolen property was recovered.”

The other release asks residents to be on the lookout for a burglary suspect and/or his unique vehicle.

Dekalb County Police had a burglary attempt on Chelsea Circle (near Coventry Road) on Monday, 04-20-09, at around noon. The victim stated she heard knocking at her front door and looked out and saw the suspects who then tried to break into the front door. The victim called out to the suspects and they ran to their vehicle. The victim recognized the suspect vehicle as the same vehicle she saw approximately six months ago during another attempted burglary at her house. The suspect vehicle was described as a gray 1980′s Ford LTD with plastic on one of the driver’s side windows. The suspects were described as two middle-aged black males, one being partially bald.

Recently, Decatur residents have reported seeing this vehicle in the City. If you see this vehicle, please call 911or the non-emergency number at (404) 373-6551.