MARTA wasn’t bluffing.  The AJC reports the transit broad approved substantial budget cuts this morning.

In budget cuts the agency’s board approved unanimously Monday, 40 bus routes are going away. Trains will add wait times up to five minutes more each. Bathrooms will close to the public at 29 stations across the system. This will be the last year for shuttles to Braves games and the Lakewood Amphitheatre.

…In addition, more than 300 MARTA employees will lose their jobs, starting Tuesday. Between them and vacant positions, MARTA’s workforce is shrinking by 14 percent. Two of MARTA’s four ride stores are closing, at Lenox and Lindbergh stations. Customer call center hours are cutting back, and there will be fewer agents at stations.

And that’s not all.  More HERE.

100 block of Adair Street (photo submitted by Andisheh)

From Interim Assistant Director of Active Living Cheryl Burnette…

The City of Decatur will celebrate the 4th of July with a community celebration.

• 6pm Pied Piper Parade, begins at the First Baptist Church at the corner of Commerce and Clairemont Ave.
• 7pm Callanwolde Concert Band performs at the Bandstand on the Old Courthouse Square
• Dark (approximately 9:20pm) Fireworks will be shot from the top of the DeKalb County Parking deck.

Roads downtown will be closed for fireworks fallout following the parade. Roads include Ponce de Leon between Commerce Drive and Church Street, Commerce Drive from Clairemont to southern end of Allen Wilson Terrace, W Trinity Place from the western end of the Maloof Building to Church Street and N McDonough from the Square south to Maple Street.

Fireworks fallout?  Sounds dangerous! 😉

Susan reports in that she found the remains of a cat in the Glen Creek Nature Preserve on Friday night and wanted to remind all residents to be mindful of their animals.

I know this is an ongoing thing, but has there been any other recent evidence of coyotes in the Decatur area?

Atlanta Avenue Crossing – Decatur, GA (photo courtesy of Beth)

The Georgia Department of Education released the 2010 CRCT scores on June 23rd.  Here’s how Decatur’s students fared overall and compared to the other 281 public school districts in the state of Georgia, according to the AJC database.

Results are ordered: Subject, Percentage Passed (Statewide Rank)

• First Grade – Reading 96.6% (42nd), English 88.6% (17th), Math 91.4% (9th)
• Second Grade – Reading 92.5% (14th), English 88.5% (37th), Math 89.4% (30th)
• Third Grade – Reading 91.6% (29th), English 87.4% (64th), Math 81.1% (38th), Science 85.8% (26th), Social Studies 84.7% (29th)
• Fourth Grade – Reading 94.3% (10th), English 90.3% 53rd), Math 82.4% (42nd), Science 87.2% (64th), Social Studies 82.8% (30th)
• Fifth Grade – Reading 91.4% (14th), English 92.5% (7th), Math 85.6% (33rd), Science 81.3% (10th), Social Studies 86.6% (11th)
• Sixth Grade – Reading 91.5% (20th), English 92.6% (25th), Math 84.7% (25th), Science 81.5% (24th), Social Studies 80.3% (17th)
• Seventh Grade – Reading 92.5% (30th), English 93.1% (6th), Math 90.2% (35th), Science 81.6% (35th), Social Studies 84.3% (28th)
• Eighth Grade – Reading 96.7% (30th), English 96.2% (77th), Math 86.3% (23rd), Science 89.6% (14th), Social Studies 79.1% (34th)

Hat-tip to The DNO, who notes that in many areas CSD actually ranked even higher when looking at “median scale score” in the raw data, instead of just the percentage of students who passed.  (According to the DNO, using this metric of evalution all Decatur grade levels ranked among the top 10 districts statewide in Reading.) This is due to the fact that in many areas and grades, a larger number of CSD students not only “met” but “exceeded” state standards, thereby bumping the median score above districts with more students who just met the standards.

Ponce de Leon Ave @ Scott Boulevard (submitted by PMcG)