Former Avondale Mayor Pro-Tem David Millron just sent this alert out moments ago…

On Monday, March 5, state Representatives Karla Drenner and Stephanie Stuckey Benfield successfully secured the 10 required signatures to submit local legislation that, if approved, will allow the cities of Avondale Estates and Decatur to join borders at Sams Crossing.

This latest development suddenly gives Avondale Estates its best opportunity in over a decade to take direct action in protecting our property values and cleaning up this eyesore.

Success now depends on you. The small number of targeted property owners is organized, active and vocal in their opposition to annexation. Please speak out for the best interests of our City, take action and encourage your neighbors to do the same.

If you’re new to the area or were doing some quality under-rock living last year, you can catch up on past failed efforts of this annexation HERE.

Chadwick, The Marlay property’s owner and longtime DM reader, writes in…

It is with great sadness that I must remove the pecan tree in the grass area next to The Marlay tomorrow. I love the tree, and have rebuffed development of the grass area specifically to preserve it; in the past Bruster’s and Starbucks wanted to develop the lot among others. There is an adolescent Oak tree in it’s shadow, that we will nurture to regain the canopy that will be lost.

Why are we having to do this? … The tree was struck by lightening in 1996, leaving a large bare scar which we have been monitoring over the years. A creature has now taken up in the tree, where a large hollow has developed, and a new crack has appeared. According to the arborist who has been trimming the tree over the last couple of years, it is just a matter of time before the canopy cracks off.

Also, I would like to let the community know that I will be “Tree Cycling” the tree to give it a new life as furniture ( see below ), and will have an “Alaska Jig” on site next week to cut the trunk into 4″ slabs to be processed after drying. All the limbs will be cut up and given to a non-profit that helps out-of-work men by selling donated wood as firewood – this pecan will be sold by this organization to BBQ resturants in the area because it’s smoke it similar to Hickory – to help support their outreach programs.

• Decatur Rec Center construction update [Be Active Decatur]
• Decatur siren test today [Decatur Minute]
• Two DeKalb Public Works employees indicted [AJC]
• No more Sidney Marcus – 400/I-85 interchange will finally be built [ABC]
• Midtown is getting a new pocket park [ABC]
• A booklover’s map of literary geography [BrainPickings]

Map courtesy of BrainPickings

The AJC’s Primary Results page shows that Sunday alcohol sales passed rather easily, with 72% of the vote supporting the measure.

Throw away your signs YDFM and other grocery stores!  It’s time for some Sunday sales.  Well, don’t throw them out just yet.  We need to determine when the Sunday Sales will go into effect.

In other local news, Atlanta residents decided to keep the 1-percent sewer tax, as opposed to pay higher water and sewer rates.