Sobering figures from the Atlanta Business Chronicle…

The number of poor grew by 25 percent in suburbs from 2000 to 2008 — almost five times the growth rate in primary cities, the report found.

In 2008, Atlanta’s suburbs had a poverty rate of 10.7 percent, compared with 22.4 percent in the city of Atlanta. Some 95,484 people in Atlanta lived below poverty level ($21,834 for a family of four), compared with 519,521 in Atlanta’s suburbs. And 15.5 percent of poor people in the metro area lived in the city of Atlanta, compared with 84.5 percent in the suburbs.

What’s worse than living below the poverty line?  Living below the poverty line and having no choice but to gas-up and maintain a vehicle.

Over at InDecatur, Dave reports that after months of consultation and deliberation, city staff has made a final recommendation to the City Commission regarding the zoning controversy surrounding the Peer Support and Recovery Respite Center at 444 Sycamore Drive.

Quoting at length from a letter of affirmation received from the Executive Director of the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network in response to questions posed by Decatur’s Planning Director Amanda Thompson, City Manager Peggy Merriss informed commissioners “that the decision of the zoning administrator to allow the Peer Support and Wellness Center to operate a family home is appropriate.”

However, in the very next breath, the letter alerts residents “aggrieved” by the decision that they can still appeal the decision of the zoning administrator to Decatur’s Zoning Board of Appeals.

Some of those very residents wasted little time speaking out about the city’s decision at last night’s city commission meeting.  Whether they will appeal the city’s decision remains unclear, as Grace Ann Young, who has spoken as the “aggrieved” residents’ representative up until this point, did not detail next steps in her comments to the commission.  But blogger Dave Kell, a Decatur Heights resident himself, promised his readers that “This matter is not going to fade away quietly.”

Decatur edTV is reporting Renfroe Middle School Principal Bruce Roaden announced last night to the Renfroe Student Leadership Team that he has been tapped as the school system’s new Community Relations & School Leadership Team Director.

Writes Andrea at edTV…

Roaden will continue to be the RMS principal until 12 noon each day and then head over to his new job based at the CSD’s District office at Westchester.

…CSD Board Chair Valarie Wilson says Roaden has done a wonderful job increasing student achievement and earning the respect of teachers and staff during his three-year tenure at Renfroe. “This new position will expand his leadership role in our community,” Wilson told Decatur EDtv, “as he interacts with the public on behalf of the City Schools of Decatur.”

Welcome to the wonderful world of school communication Bruce!