Andrea Berry’s Decatur eLife Holiday Video Card is ready for viewing!

Come for the holiday wishes, stay for the dog eating his holiday costume!

With Neil Gaiman just out the door, today Agnes Scott announces another big book-get for Decatur.

Emily sends word that Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the New York Times #1 Bestseller Eat, Pray, Love is coming to Agnes Scott College on Monday, January 11th @7pm (doors open at 6pm).  The event is being presented by the college, along with Barnes and Noble and the Decatur Book Festival.

Gilbert’s website indicates that the event is part of the book tour for her Eat, Pray, Love follow-up, Committed. It will include a talk, Q&A and book-signing in ASC’s Gaines Auditorium.

The evening with Gilbert is free to the public, but seating is limited.  Tickets will only be distributed the night of the event.

DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis revealed his 2010 budget yesterday, which proposes an 11% increase in property taxes and cutting nearly 760 jobs.  From the AJC…

Ellis would reduce the spending side of the ledger by about $30 million. He wants do this by eliminating 360 ghost jobs that have been unfilled but remain on the books; and by offering early retirement. His budget is predicated on 400 employees taking the offer.  The proposal would allow staff to retire without penalty before the minimum age of 50 if they have worked at least 25 years for the county.

“We have no choice but to have a reduction in our work force,” Ellis said.

The Decatur/DeKalb tax gap continues to close.