Fresh Loaf

Marc Fitten, the editor of The Chattahoochee Review, had an op-ed column in Saturday’s New York Times about parting ways with his old Honda and purchasing a new car.

The piece is about much more, actually. Namely, the shuttered General Motors plant in Doraville, the 1,200 former workers who lost their jobs, and how the overgrown site’s convinced Fitten that he won’t be purchasing a Chevy anytime soon. Not until the bailed-out company “has responsibly sold every empty plant across this country to the benefit of every American town that had its back for the last hundred years.”

(You’ll recall that DeKalb County’s been exploring how to redevelop the site, possibly through a public-private partnership. There have been talks about it becoming a new stadium for the Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta Unfiltered’s Jim Walls, who’s been all over the story, recently reported that the Doraville City Council doesn’t like the idea.)

Take a look at Fitten’s column.

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If you have questions or concerns about the nationwide switch from analog to digital-television signals — which could result in lost reception for owners of older-model television sets — you’ve got a resource.

The Center for Pan Asian Community Services will hold a one-hour workshop at noon today at its Doraville headquarters to help people avoid problems during the switch.

At this community education event, recent changes of the DTV transition will be discussed as well as the status of the NTIA sponsored DTV Coupon Program. Also, there will be discussion on the resources that are available at the DTV Assistance Center at CPACS will be shared.

CPACS operates one of three DTV Assistance Centers in metro Atlanta. For more information about the centers and the analog-to-digital switch, check out this site.

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Interesting news coming out of Doraville:

Starting February 2009, the city will require all private developments more than 20,000 square feet to be LEED certified. Municipal buildings will have to meet the program’s standards regardless of size.

“With the GM plant redevelopment and so many other revitalization opportunities on the horizon, this is a big step in making sure that we attract high quality developers,” Mayor Ray Jenkins said in a press release.

Neighboring Chamblee passed the same ordinance earlier this year. The two cities are the only ones in the Southeast that require sustainable and energy-efficient buildings within their limits.

“Buildings are second only to transportation in energy consumption,” said Mayor Pro Tem Bob Roche. “Passage of the LEED ordinance will promote profitable buildings in Doraville that are energy efficient, environmentally responsible, and healthy places to live, work and play. My fellow council members, the mayor and our citizens deserve a lot of credit supporting this endeavor.”

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— It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I don’t know how I feel. GriftDrift has posted another installment of “My Morning Wooten” and … he says Wooten makes sense. WTF? Thankfully, by the end he’s poking at Wooten for pulling out the usual canard about the liberal media. There. All’s right with the world again.

— Over at Good Will Hinton, there’s a podcast interview with S.E. Cupp, co-author of the book Why You’re Wrong About The Right: Behind The Myths. The stereotypes Cupp hopes to debunk? “Republicans are racist, we’re humorless, we hate the planet, we’re stupid, we’re religious fanatics, we aren’t cool,” Cupp tells Hinton.

— Do we need to create a code of ethics for the blogosphere? A.man.I at My Urban Reporter discusses the news reports that Atlanta political blogger Andre Walker (Peach Pundit, Georgia Politics Unfiltered) is on the payroll of U.S. Rep. David Scott (D-Atlanta), yet wrote multiple posts about Scott without disclosing their relationship. A.man.I points out, and I second, that’s an ethical no, no. See also CL editor Ken Edelstein’s post on the issue.

— Tondee’s Tavern has a report from Ed, who is in China for the Olympic Games and laments the censorship he’s already faced with Internet access.

—  Amy Smart received an invitation from Gov. Sonny Perdue to attend his annual fish fry and, as she writes on Georgia Women Vote!, she’s not really amused since Sonny’s “Go Fish Georgia” program is fully funded while schools are facing budget cuts.

— Things have been a little quiet on the Dora-Blog. But now Bubba Rich laments that the bad times have come back to Doraville, that touch of country in the city.

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Turns out that Jeff Francoeur found their video on YouTube (shouldn’t he be practicing or something?), and then somehow the Braves PR department got a hold of it. The Auburn boys were invited to play it at Turner Field.

– Annie at Metroblogging Atlanta on a YouTube musical tribute to Mark Teixeira, who’s been an a hot streak since joining the Braves Aug. 1. Annie links to the video.

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I didn’t think they could make this whole situation smell even more like BS, but somehow the Doraville 3 managed it.

– Joseph G. at Dora-blog, responding to a statement by three Doraville city councilmen explaining why they fired the city’s police chief.

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God, Speaker. Can you make it through a single interview without sounding like the meanest man in Georgia?

– GriftDrift, on Georgia House Speaker Glenn Richardson’s interview with Peach Pundit Poobah Erick Erickson. The interview can be heard on Peach Pundit.

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That’s gotta hurt. …

— Erick at Peach Pundit on Atlanta City Councilman H. Lamar Willis getting thrown under the bus by his own public relations agent.

Last month the AJC reported that Willis falsely claimed his H. Lamar Willis Foundation was a nonprofit. In a written statement, Willis’ PR agent said he thinks Willis lied to him about the facts of the case.

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I’m not sympathetic to the Doraville City Council at this point but if you step back to view the bigger picture, one has to wonder just how small towns throughout the land are coping with losing vital citizens for months on end.

— GriftDrift goes all big-picture on us in comments on Doraville’s middle-of-the-night firing of its police chief, John King. The chief was apparently fired, in part, because he was serving in Iraq for 18 months. He has since been rehired.

Read some of the AJC’s story about the case and you see the name of Doraville City Councilman Tom Hart. You may recall that Hart was ordered by Mayor Ray Jenkins not to speak to the city’s comptroller after he allegedly said some nasty stuff to her.

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If they’re so awesome, then they might be hitting a venue that isn’t Swayze’s when they make it to Atlanta. Oh yeah, and they wouldn’t suck. And on top of that, I wouldn’t be using their CD as a coaster to help me drown my sorrows.

— Leah at Confessions of a Music Addict apparently has mixed feelings about the song “Because I’m Awesome” by the Dollyrots.

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With the approval of the curriculm by the state school board, Georgia may become the first state in the USA to offer public-funded Bible classes in high school.

– Blog For Democracy on an AP story about the Muscogee County school board’s decision to offer Bible classes in public schools next fall.

Incidentally, the picture the AP chose to run with the story is delightful.

There is almost nothing to back this rumor up, except for the fact that the mayor and Hart have been spotted together at the local Waffle House and also that the mayor seems to let Mr. Hart have pretty much free reign to do what he sees fit when it comes to directing city employees.

– Joseph G at Dora-Blog on rumors that Doraville Mayor Ray Jenkins is grooming Doraville Councilman Tom Hart to replace him.

Last year Mayor Jenkins ordered Hart not to speak to Doraville City Clerk Betty Cloer. The incident earned Hart a spot on Creative Loafing’s list of Least Influential Atlantans. Another recent contributor to Dora-Blog accuses Hart of being “hateful” to women.

Mayor Franklin is sending her credibility into the toilet by backing this guy.

– Peachtree Screed’s Doug Monroe on Mayor Franklin’s support for beleaguered APD Chief Richard Pennington.

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