R.E.M. has called it quits.  Wow.  That’s a kick in the face.

Thanks to Chad for forwarding

Here’s your unofficial reminder that this Saturday night between 9:15p-9:30p, Decatur will launch its massive horde of rained out 4th of July fireworks from the DeKalb County parking deck downtown right after the Concert on the Square (which starts at 7:30p).

Don’t believe me?  Here’s the link!

North Decatur Plaza, N. Decatur Rd, Decatur GA (pic submitted by John)

If you’ve ever wondered why a train sometimes comes to a complete stop across DeKalb Avenue in the morning, this “FAQ About the Train” from the East Lake Neighborhood blog is for you!

Here’s a piece…

Why does the train stop, blocking East Lake Rd and Dekalb Ave?

Today, the only train that regularly stops is the morning southbound intermodal train, which comes in between 8 and 10. This train, loaded with shipping containers, is headed for Hulsey Yard, which is near Oakland Cemetery and Cabbage Town. The train stops a few hundred yards shy of Hulsey so the engineer can climb down from the train and throw a manual track switch, lining the train up for Hulsey. Then he climbs back to his cab and moves the train forward. From stopping to starting up again, the whole process usually takes about three minutes. (Considering that the alternate routes around the train are already full of cars in the morning, it’s questionable whether turning around and taking one of those makes any sense.)

The post by Bob Ballou also answers questions like: “What is the actual name of this line?”  “How many trains are scheduled to run on the line each day?” and “What is the status of the train quiet corridor, which will include quiet zones at Dekalb Ave., East Lake, Coventry, Frazier, and Montreal?”

Great info!

• Did I hear fireworks last night?? [Emory Wheel]
• They missed the Missoni Madness, but the AsianCajuns got connections [AsianCajuns]
• Decatur Blue Sky Concert Today! [The Decatur Minute]
• Atlanta passes potable rainwater ordinance [Green Building Chronicle]
• WTH?  Man Charged with Impersonating an Officer at Agnes Scott [Patch]
• Should Public Transit Strive for Profitability? [Streetsblog]

Photo courtesy of the Emory Wheel