Apparently, the recent talk about coyotes in the area has been so frequent that Fernbank is hosting a “Fact & Fiction” forum on the topic.

Rina sends along this note…

Fernbank Science Center Presents: A Forum: Facts & Fiction COYOTES: How can humans and coyotes coexist?

Urban coyote problems in Atlanta will be addressed, with a focus on facts about coyotes and information on community concerns.

Featured speakers will be coyote researcher Dr. Chris Mowry, Chairman, Biology Department at Berry College, and Dr. Larry Wilson, ecologist at Fernbank Science Center.

• > Date: Wednesday, March 7, 2012
• > Time: 7:00 P.M. – 8 P.M.
• > Where: Fernbank Science Center
• > 156 Heaton Park Drive
• > Jim Cherry Planetarium (across from Fernbank Elementary School)
• > RSVP-678-874-7102

You may recall the post from a couple days back where I said I was checking with Decatur’s city staff about how transportation funding would be spent IF the 1-cent transportation sales tax passed in July.  Well, city planner Amanda Thompson was good enough to provide us with a very thorough response regarding how much money Decatur is projected to receive, and which projects would receive top billing when decision time came around.

So, first things first, how much money is Decatur projected to receive if T-SPLOST passes?

Current GDOT estimates show that Decatur will receive $360,880 in 2013 per year for our 15% direct share from the sales tax. If this estimate remains steady over 10 years that will result in $3,608,800. A list of all the 15% estimates can be found here:

http://www.atlantaregionalroundtable.com/documents/discretionary_Money.pdf

Secondly, what is Decatur’s plan for spending the local share?

The City Commission recently reviewed a 10 year Capital Improvement Program to discuss funding options for various building and transportation projects. As part of this review, they considered how to spend the TIA local share. If the TIA is passed there are two ways Decatur will benefit – Portions of the Clairemont/Commerce/Church Street improvements and pedestrian improvements to East College Avenue are included in the large, multi-county project list. There are also three MARTA stations within the city limits that will receive upgrades as part of the large project list. Decatur will divide its 15% local share between the following categories: unfunded transportation improvements, Transportation Enhancement and Livable Centers Initiatives grant matches and maintenance of existing bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure.

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You remember the Decatur six-word story fun we had a while back?  Well, that was just a warm up!  Catherine Lee writes on The Decatur Minute…

There’s “Keep Austin Weird,” “Love Asheville,” “Think Local Umpqua,” “Homegrown El Paso,” and so many more “buy local” campaigns around the country. How about Decatur? What slogan would sum up our city’s local love of independent businesses? How do you capture Decatur’s community spirit in just a few words? We want to hear from you! Send in a go local Decatur slogan to us, we’ll pick the best three, and put them up for a public vote online. Get creative!

Send your submission to Catherine.Lee@decaturga.com by March 16. The winning submission will be used in an ongoing marketing campaign for the City of Decatur. The winner will receive two free shirts with his/her slogan and a giftcard to a local restaurant.

Let’s get crackin’!