From a post on Publisher’s Weekly’s website titled “An Insane Decatur Book Festival”…

From the sold-out keynote address to the “insane” crowd at Sunday morning’s Pete the Cat parade, the sixth annual Decatur Book Festival was another success for organizers, attendees, and the city of Decatur. Cofounder and executive director Daren Wang estimates that attendance was up between 10% to 15% this year, and that the turnout for the parade Sunday morning easily doubled, and perhaps tripled, their highest parade numbers: “The Judy Schachner parade [on Saturday morning] was really wonderful – probably 400 to 500 kids took part. But Pete the Cat was insane! I stood on the corner and watched it go by, it was 10 or 15 minutes of just kids. I knew [Pete the Cat illustrator] James Dean and [author] Eric Litwin were hometown favorites, but I had no idea it was going to be like that.”

More at the link above.  The real question is: where will we build the Pete the Cat theme park??  It’s not in the Strategic Plan!!

Wig abandoned in rain puddle outside Kroger at Belvedere Plaza. (photo submitted by jojo)

Al points to this article in the AJC, which is sure to interest the more transportation-obsessed among us.  Gwinnett plans to unveil a new “diverging diamond” at the busy intersection of I-85 and Jimmy Carter Blvd, with similar designs coming to other major county intersections in the coming months and year.

The unusual design, known as a DDI, routes traffic in both directions to the left over an interchange bridge, so that the lanes are briefly reversed. That allows cars turning left onto the interstate ramp to do so without facing oncoming traffic. Cars coming off the interstate also can merge more easily with traffic, designers say.

Not only do designers and advocates believe that the diverging diamond will improve traffic congestion, but that they will replace the county’s old watertowers as the “new symbol for Gwinnett”. The project is projected to cost no more than $750,000.

Huh.

Rendering above courtesy of New York DOT website

DHS teacher Chris Billingsley writes in…

Thirty-five DHS students had the opportunity to meet and listen to former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright this morning at the Carter Center. The only invited guests were DHS students and the state winners of the Georgia Humanities Council National History Day contest. Dr. Albright spoke briefly about her career as a diplomat and her new exhibit at the Carter Center called “Read My Pins” and then answered questions from students. Her advice to young ladies trying to achieve greatness, “You must learn how to interrupt”. The students had a great experience.

Photo credit: Tony Clark of the Carter Center