Local newspaper asks why the transit 1% sales tax initiative failed…

November 13, 2024

Today’s Marietta Daily Journal pondered reasons why the transit tax initiative failed. I’m not a subscriber to this paper. I glanced at the newspaper while in the check-out line at Walgreen’s this morning.

Raising my hand to answer:
(1) This initiative was for 30 years, not the same 5 year renewal cycles as the existing two SPLOSTS for education and special county projects (parks & rec, libraries, etc.).
(2) Because the super low levels of ridership do not warrant any additional investment. I frequently travel along some of the “higher utilization” bus routes and the buses usually have only 1-5 passengers on them. This is not sustainable long-term. If I start seeing buses 50%-75% full regularly, then maybe we’ll have reason to revisit the transit tax.

Most people who move to the ‘burbs do so without any expectation of public transit availability. The only bus service they might use would be the Express Buses that run M-F along I-75 into downtown Atlanta. (These run 3x each day/evening and are self-supporting.) As an alternative, many commuters use the toll lanes and buy a Peach Pass. Should I decide to relocate to Cherokee County in the future, I will consider toll lane entrance access a priority of where to buy.

The point here is I don’t expect the county to provide me with transportation to get from Point A to Point B. It takes me 20 minutes to get from my home to my part-time job by car. It would take almost 2 hours if I took the bus and the fares would cost more than the gas I’d use driving myself. Then, there’s the value of my time. I’d rather do other things than wait on a bus.

Madame Chair argues that in interest of equity, every resident should have access to wherever they wish to go. They already do – drive a car, ask a friend for a ride, call an Uber, take a taxi or walk. If it’s to go shopping, most things can be delivered to your home for a modest fee. The elderly and disabled already have on-demand senior transit services and disability mobility services available. Expand those services, if necessary, but trying to mimic a MARTA type bus service out here in the ‘burbs makes zero sense. That’s what the voters told you by a wide margin. I hope you listen.

Read to a therapy dog program is a go!

November 13, 2024

Sadie and I did a meet & greet today at our new elementary school! We officially begin READing with our new 3rd grade friends right after Thanksgiving. Sadie met several classes during transition time to specials. The kids and staff were so excited. It was a great day!

This is exactly what I wanted to do in retirement. After 2-1/2 years and many doors slammed in our faces, it’s finally come to fruition. This location is the perfect place for Sadie and me. As I told my therapy dog group leader, this opportunity was well worth the wait. I’m excited to see how the program unfolds!

A side note to my Cobb County Schools teacher friends – we’re in Marietta City Schools because they said yes.

Experimenting with EQ8

November 12, 2024

Now that Yellowstone’s new season has begun, several iterations inspired by Beth Dutton’s infamous quilt have shown up in my social media feeds. It’s essentially an alternating 9-patch block design set on point in a red, black and gray color scheme. I saw quilts in 6″, 8″ and 9″ finished block sizes with numerous layouts in all sorts of different sizes. Intrigued, I booted up EQ8 to see what I could come up with. Note: this is not a tutorial or pattern. I merely wanted to highlight what’s possible with EQ8 and share.

I wanted a throw size quilt that would use up my scraps (mostly leftover jelly rolls) for the 9-patch blocks. I prefer the floating look that a thin border provides, so that’s why I added a 1-1/2″ finished border before binding. Always remember: you are the boss of your own quilt. Make a quilt the way you like it!

Meet Rustic Retreat II (55″ x 64″ based on 6″ finished blocks)

Here are the essential components needed to make the quilt pictured above:
(42) 6-1/2″ red & black 9-patch blocks
(30) 6-1/2″ grey squares
(22) grey side setting triangles
(4) grey corner setting triangles
(6) 2″ x WOF grey strips for border
(7) 2-1/2″ x WOF grey strips for binding

The way you make the 9-patch blocks will depend on if you’re using up scraps or cutting yardage. Since this is based on 6″ finished blocks, your 9-patch components will be made from 2-1/2″ squares and/or strips.

Very loose fabric requirements (calculated by EQ8):
Black – scraps or yardage – about 1 yard
Red – scraps or yardage – about 1 yard
Grey – 2-1/2 yards
You will also need about 3.5 yards of backing fabric and a twin size package of quilt batting.

This quilt is essentially a simple alternating 9-patch design that is set on point. If you’ve made one or two quilts, you can make this one. There are numerous YouTube videos that describe the “set on point” process in great detail. Missouri Star, A Quilting Life and Fat Quarter Shop YouTube videos are good places to start. Here’s a blog post you might also find helpful from Diary of a Quilter.

You will also need to figure how to cut your setting and corner triangles. American Patchwork and Quilting has a reference chart you can download for free.

Being able to take a basic design that inspires me and customize it to meet my needs and preferences is one of the reasons I love using EQ8. Yes, I still have to do some math to figure cut sizes and how to put it all together, but I’m willing to do that. It’s a real confidence booster when the project you’ve created turns out exactly how you envisioned.