The Medlock Area Neighborhood Association breaks the news that area neighborhood groups have been working with Selig/Walmart to gain concessions on the Suburban Plaza project in exchange for their support of the parking variance that the property owner is hoping to get from DeKalb County.  Here’s a piece from their latest post…

Selig has asked MANA to support their parking variance request. This is not a decision the Board took lightly. After much consideration and discussion, the Board decided that it is in our neighborhood’s best interest to do so. In return, the MANA Board is negotiating an agreement that addresses a number of our concerns. The Boards of surrounding neighborhoods will also support this agreement. These negotiations are ongoing and we will post the contract as soon as it is finalized.

CSD has posted the full article, featured in yesterday’s print edition of the AJC, detailing Decatur’s relatively new teacher evaluation methods that may soon become the standard for the entire state.

City Schools of Decatur, a 3,250-student district, is among the first Georgia systems taking a different approach to rating teachers, one that recognizes some teachers are better than others and scores them accordingly. Similar changes are headed to school districts across Georgia in the coming years.

The goal is to build a better teaching workforce by getting help to those who need it, learning from those who don’t and firing those who are beyond repair.

“It’s in the middle of everything we do, rather than a necessary evil,” said Decatur Associate Superintendent Thomas Van Soelen, who oversees the evaluation process.

The long vacant bank-annex building at the northwest intersection of Ponce de Leon and Clairemont Ave is showing signs of life after many, many years of laying dormant.  Runswithdogs mentioned that the lease sign was down and there was activity inside in FFAF last Friday and I followed up last night with this lovely pic of the interior all aglow.

I could – and will – ask the city what’s going on, but they usually have to be pretty tight-lipped on this sort of thing.  So I’m opening it up to all of you.  Anyone know?