DHS teacher Chris Billingsley sends in an announcement from the new Youth Programs Manager at the Oakhurst Community Garden, Myriam Van Dorp, announcing a four-part Farm-to-School workshop for 28 City Schools of Decatur employees.

Here are some of the details from the note…

The overall goal of the workshop series is to empower and inspire CSD employees to incorporate Farm to School concepts into their daily, standards-based instruction, as well as introduce them to community resources.

The workshops will include food, farm and nutrition lesson plans, hands-on cooking and taste testing activities, and in-depth organic gardening practices. The workshop series will provide training and resources for teachers to use while designing experiences that integrate Farm to School into classroom learning.

These experiences will be compiled into a Farm to School resource guide that can inspire others.

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The 2010 has come bearing gifts for the city of Decatur in the form of MORE online information!

Launching January 1st, Decatur News Online is the brainchild of resident Geoff Koski, which pledges to be a “journalistic internet news source for the citizens of the City of Decatur, Georgia— covering community events and issues” and already includes a variety of postings by contributing residents.

And just today, we received word via The Decatur Minute that the city was launching a third blog with the new year.  The Decatur Tax Blog promises to provide “fresh, non-partisan content about national & local tax and housing developments, timely reminders about tax deadlines for residents, special announcements, and educational posts about your tax bill.”

In his first post, city employee (and now “blogger”) Russ Madison makes one thing quite clear…

…this blog will in not be a political platform or forum about tax rates. For concerns about tax rates I would encourage you to contact your elected officials or visit privately-run blogs. Also, the information provided on these pages shall in no way constitute legal advice about your individual tax circumstances. Please seek the advice of a tax professional for dicey personal situations.

Every year Decatur residents team up on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend to help the area’s elderly make needed repairs to their homes and help with necessary yard work. (Photo courtesy of the city’s website)

This year the shifts are as follows:

Saturday, January 16: 9am to 1pm and 1pm to 5pm

Sunday, January 17: 1pm to 5pm

Monday, January 18: 9am to 1pm and 1pm to 5pm

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(aka what I’m terming a “Grack Attack”)

Gike writes in…

There are 100′s of birds going crazy around our house on Garden Lane. What’s the deal? Anyone know what these birds are and what they are up to? Maybe they are just trying to stay warm.

Aren’t they generally grackles?

But hey, I’m not one to identify or explain the behavioral patterns of our feathered friends, however maybe Bruce at “Birding Decatur, Ga” could enlighten us!

For all you middle-agers out there, those most infuriating of DM comments might actually do your grey matter good.  From the New York Times…

The brain, as it traverses middle age, gets better at recognizing the central idea, the big picture. If kept in good shape, the brain can continue to build pathways that help its owner recognize patterns and, as a consequence, see significance and even solutions much faster than a young person can.

…Educators say that, for adults, one way to nudge neurons in the right direction is to challenge the very assumptions they have worked so hard to accumulate while young. With a brain already full of well-connected pathways, adult learners should “jiggle their synapses a bit” by confronting thoughts that are contrary to their own, says Dr. Taylor, who is 66.

So click on those comments and jiggle those synapses.  Jiggle ‘em!