In a recent newsletter, the Oakhurst Community Garden spelled out a specific example of how the organization is bringing local vegetables into Decatur’s schools.  Love it!

The end of the school year is often filled with celebrations of student learning, field games, and farewells to friends and teachers alike. At Oakhurst Elementary, the community came together to add one more ingredient – fresh greens.

The Beginning

In April, the Oakhurst Community Garden Project’s Youth Program Manager, Myriam Van Dorp showed these elementary student how to plant and grow Red Russian, Lacinato, and Siberian Kale as well as Swiss Chard in their 6 vegetable beds. As it turned out, the vegetables did so well that there was more than anyone expected! The students harvested 2 ½ beds of the greens a few days before the final bell.

The Harvest

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What would you do with $500,000 to makeover your local dog park?

Thad points out that Beneful is currently holding an online contest where the grand-prize is a whopping $500,000 to makeover a dog park in your area.  To enter, all participants have to do is make a two-minute video detailing what they would envision as their ultimate dog park.

This dude explains…

Sounds pretty simple, right?  Well, apparently not simple enough since this contest started way back on May 3rd and there are only THREE entries thus far.  The contest ends on June 18th, and then beginning in August folks will vote online for the winner.

With so few contestants and an online voting component, I’m pretty sure we could win this thing.

So, if anyone feels so inclined to take the lead on creating the video, I’ll provide my full support.  You can brainstorm ideas on how to spend the money below in the comments section, and once your video is up I’ll post it here.  And when voting time comes around, I’ll make sure provide the link to vote.

We’ve already successfully done this once when we helped Sydney Rhame win $1,000 from Kudzu.  I’m pretty sure we can do it again.

Action item “G” on next Tuesday’s Decatur School Board meeting agenda recommends signing a contract with Rosser Management Services to design and oversee construction of the Decatur High School Career Academy, 5th Avenue School and Renfroe Middle School infrastructure upgrade.

The decision was made after CSD staff reviewed all 11 RFPs received and narrowed the list to three.  Then a review team “consisting of City Schools of Decatur employees and Decatur community members” made the final decision.

Rosser was chosen in a unanimous vote.  They will be paid a lump sum of $350,000 for their services on all three projects.