Creative Loafing reports on the various bills that Governor Nathan Deal has vetoed this year, and it includes a bill that we highlighted here back during the legislative session that would allow cyclists and motorcyclists to ride through unresponsive red lights.

Here’s Governor Deal’s reasoning according to CL…

Veto Number 1

SB 76 Senate Bill 76 would allow motorcycle and bicycle operators to enter an intersection without providing a definitive regard to the traffic signal in instances where the lightweight nature of their vehicle will not activate a traffic-control device. While I am sympathetic to the concerns and causes of motorcyclists and bicyclists, this legislation does not provide an adequate solution and presents a confusing exception to motorists. Furthermore, Senate Bill 76 would eliminate the current 15-inch height restriction placed on motorcycle handlebars. Motorcycles equipped with handlebars more than 15 inches in height pose a safety hazard due to the increased difficulty in steering and decreased control. In 2014, crashes involving motorcycles and bicycles accounted for 13 percent of the fatalities on Georgia roads, and I do not see how this legislation will enhance roadway safety. Therefore, in the interest of providing the necessary roadway safety Georgians deserve, I hereby VETO Senate Bill 76.

Photo “Atlanta Cycling” by Tim – Flickr: Canyon. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Creative Loafing reports this morning that the Brick Store Pub, along with the Porter Beer Bar, are making sizable contributions this year to help the Georgia Craft Brewer’s Guild get the “Beer Jobs Bill” passed during the January Legislative session.  Here’s a snippet…

Decatur’s Brick Store Pub feels the same way. In fact, Brick Store co-founder Dave Blanchard tells Creative Loafing that BSP is going to donate $3,000 to the Georgia Craft Brewers Guild. The funds come from a handful of private fundraising events held at BSP in recent years.

“We feel a responsibility to continue to push and be industry leaders in all bettering of beer,” Blanchard says. “Whether it’s trying to promote an obscure brand we are excited about or pushing for better beer laws.”

…Blanchard says the Beer Jobs Bill is the most important piece of beer legislation since that landmark ABV bill in 2004. Aside from increasing revenue for Georgia businesses, he says it will attract breweries from other states, and above all, elevate Georgia’s beer culture.

What’s the goal of the so-called “Beer Jobs Bill”?  The GA Beer Jobs website explains…

The Beer Jobs Bill will allow consumers to purchase a pint at a brewery and take beer home from breweries and brewpubs – these changes will help drive jobs, tourism, and economic growth that will allow our state to be more competitive in the national craft beer marketplace. And it will do this in a way that allows our breweries, distributors, and retailers to all benefit from the economic growth it will unleash.

As the map to the right – from the beer jobs website – shows, Georgia is one of only 4 states where breweries can’t sell beer on the premises.  Other states where direct brew sales are illegal?  North Dakota, Mississippi and West Virginia.

Photo courtesy of the Brick Store Pub website

If you look forward to leafing through Creative Loafing’s Annual Neighborhood Issue, with little write ups about some your favorite Atlanta neighborhoods and a list of “Neighborhood Picks”, this is your week to stop by one of Decatur’s regulated green newspaper boxes and pick up a copy.  As this year’s intro states…

For this year’s Neighborhood Issue, we wanted to capture that sense of pride Atlantans have for their neighborhoods. The best way to do that, we figured, was a series of offbeat tours from neighborhood residents that showcase the underappreciated and wacky charms of 23 intown communities. In this issue, you’ll find a late-night patrol in Castleberry Hill with the Crimson Fist, a tour of the Westside on horseback with the Urban Cowboy, a dog walk through Buckhead, a crack-of-dawn workout in Midtown’s Piedmont Park, and more, as well as lists of the residents’ favorite neighborhood haunts.

Here are easy links for the neighborhoods in and around Decatur:

• Decatur/Oakhurst
• Avondale Estates
• Emory/Druid Hills
• Kirkwood

OK, so I don’t usually post a million links to the same site, let alone the same feature.  But Creative Loafing’s recent “Answer’s Issue” deserves to be linked to death. And in case anyone hadn’t picked up an issue from one of Decatur’s mandated green newspaper boxes, I thought I’d provide some easy access.

Here’s a sampling of questions/demands asked/stated by readers and then diligently answered by CL’s staff…

• Can we flood I-75/85 and create a waterfront for Atlanta?
  
• Why does Atlanta radio suck?
• What is the oldest multi-story building in Atlanta?
• Who is the Junkman’s Daughter?
• Why does 10th Street between I-75/85 and Northside Drive get resurfaced seemingly once a year, yet is still in a constant state of disrepair?
• Compare and contrast the Atlanta and Athens music scenes.
• What is the true story of how Murder Kroger earned its nickname?
• Why did it take so long for MARTA to get serious about having transit-oriented developments built around train stations?

This year’s Creative Loafing neighborhood guide groups Decatur & Avondale Estates together.  It consists of three parts:

1. a short overview of “arguably metro Atlanta’s most desired suburb”
2. an interview with the Brick Store’s Dave Blanchard (why didn’t they ask about the status of the Depot??)
3. A “wish list” for the cities compiled from residents

CL’s big feature is week is “Georgia’s Brewed Awakening“, an extensive piece on the challenges and promise of Georgia’s emerging brew-scene.  Decatur’s Blue Tarp Brewing and Ale Yeah! both receive worthy mentions, but it’s Three Taverns that gets the star treatment.   Here’s a sampling of what’s written…

Amid this burgeoning group of beer purveyors, Athens’ Creature Comforts and Decatur’s Three Taverns will likely define the Georgia brewing conversation over the next decade. Stein’s Creature Comforts will initially produce an IPA, pilsner, and a Berliner Weisse (a gently tart, low-alcohol, German wheat beer). For Brian Purcell’s Three Taverns, the focus is on a Belgian IPA and a Belgian-style single to start.

…One painstakingly crafted selection that may lead Georgia’s craft-brewing direction by example is Three Taverns’ Quasimodo. This Belgian-style quadruple ale, which Purcell has been tweaking for six years, will be the brewery’s dark, boozy winter seasonal. …Purcell’s careful attention to detail and restless, perfectionist spirit should be a model for Georgia’s craft-beer community going forward.

You could say that Creative Loafing’s 2012 edition of the “Best of Atlanta” has now hit newsstands, if newsstands still existed in Atlanta.

Here are some of the Decatur area people/items/events/things that made the list in no particular order!

Critic’s Picks

• Best Leisurely Stroll – Olmstead Linear Park
• Best bookstore for browsing – Book Nook
• Best hardware store to stand up to the man – Intown Ace Hardware
• Best place to meet the maker – Homegrown
• Legendary Beer Bar in Your Backyard – Brick Store Pub
• Best spot for a first date – Leon’s Full Service
• Best local poet – Natasha Thethewey

Reader’s Picks

• Best Suburb – Decatur
• Best Antique Store – Kudzu
• Best Consignment Store – Finders Keepers
• Best Craft Beer Store – Ale Yeah!
• Best fashion blogger – AsianCajuns (tie)
• Best Jewelry Store – Worthmore
• Best Specialty Store – Your DeKalb Farmers Market
• Best Vet Clinic – Village Vets
• Best cocktails – Leon’s Full Service
• Best cookies – Cookie Studio (tie)
• Best place to fill up your growler – Ale Yeah!
• Best tacos – Taqueria del Sol
• Best book event – Decatur Book Festival

Let me know if we missed anything!