Last week, CSD Snowflake reported that she had heard that six cars parked at the Venetian Pools had been broken into during a swim meet on June 23rd.

I had followed up with DPD, but Community Relations Specialist Juanchella Francis was out of the office last week.  Just heard back today with an update.  Here ’tis…

Yes, six autos were entered at and near Venetian Pools, recently. On June 25, 2009, an arrest was made in that area and our investigators are in the process of determining if this individual is connected to other entering autos at Venetian Pools and surrounding areas. Our patrol officers are also frequently patrolling the area.

Do not hesitate to call 911 or 404-373-6551 should you witness any suspicious activity.

I tell ya…that’s a lot of last names to fit in a post title!

Decatur city commissioner candidate Kyle Williams announces that he’s received two regional endorsements today.  Here’s the press release….

June 30, 2009 – Decatur, GA – State Representatives Stephanie Stuckey Benfield (House District 85) and Stacey Abrams (House District 84) endorsed Kyle Williams for Decatur City Commission today, and urged District 2 to vote for him. Kyle Williams is running for Decatur City Commission, District 2, which includes South Decatur and part of the downtown business district. Representatives Abrams and Stuckey Benfield represent District 2 in the Georgia General Assembly.

“I know Kyle. I know his commitment to South Decatur. As a mother, I appreciate his work to improve early childhood learning in Decatur. I am proud to give Kyle my full support for his campaign. Kyle will make a great City Commissioner and will fight hard for us. I will work to elect Kyle this fall,” said Rep. Stuckey Benfield.

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Is that Tyler Perry way in the back?

Darren writes in with a report and some pics from a wild and crazy day of filming at The Grange.

About 3 times as many people and stuff showed up then what I expected for the 1.5 minute scene at the pub! Amazing as 5 people have speaking parts it means they shoot the scene 5 times with at least 5 different angles!

All very professional and amazingly fast at setting up – the slow downs were the lighting and artistic guys getting the shots the way they wanted them. That was Tyler Perry’s black RV by the dumpsters. The other cast were bussed in from nearby hotels.

We’ll be back open on Wednesday.

A few more pics after the jump…

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Rus sends in a note found on The Schmacher Restaurant Real Estate Brokers website announcing a new Irish Pub coming to the Square.

New Eats in Decatur: A new concept is coming to the former location of Saba in downtown Decatur. Restaurateur Andy England has purchased the former eatery at 111 Sycamore, St. and will transform it into Dick Mack’s , an Irish Pub, said Steve Josovitz vice president of restaurant brokerage at the The Shumcher Group, Inc.

All due credit, DarenW was first to report on this back when Saba moved to Oakhurst, but now we have a pub name.

Here’s the list of participating shops, according to the city’s website…

• Blue Moon – 418 Church St., 404-378-1114, 10 percent off the entire stor and 40 percent off select furniture.
• Decatur Yoga & Pilates – 431 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., 404-377-4899, 10 percent off class cards, yoga wear discounts.
•  Eyeworks of Decatur – 335 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., 404-377-3937, 20 to 50 percent off select frames.
• Fabutique – 335 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., 404-377-6363, 40 to 50 percent off selected items.
• Fleet Feet Sports – 431 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., 404-371-0208, sale on selected merchandise.
• Heliotrope – 248 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., 404-371-0100, 50 to75 percent off select items.
• Kaleidoscope – 252 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., 404-378-1214
• Little Shop of Stories – 133-A E. Court Sq., 404-373-6300, 20 to 50 percent off select books and toys.
• Mingei World Arts – 427 Church St., 404-371-0101, outdoor sals tables and a variety of specials.
• Opus Winds Classical Music – 308 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., 404-370-0507, selected items marked down from 10 to 50 percent.
• Salon Red – 119 E. Ponce de Leon Ave., 404-377-3164, select items on sale July 3 and 5.
• Taste – 416 Church St., 404-370-1863, 10 to 50 percent off select items.
• Twist ‘n’ Scoot – 431-3 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., 404-377-3333, 10 percent off accessories, and a free half helmet with scooter purchase on July 3 and 4.
•  Vivid Boutique – 133 E. Court Sq., 404-371-5181, get a free pair of earrings per $30 of regular-priced merchandise.
• Whit’s End – 431 W. Ponce de Leon Ave. #2, 404-377-3310, 10 percent off Columbia shorts and shirts, Patagonia shoes, Toms shoes and 20 percent off Dockers pants.

Two comments under the recent “Yogurt Tap” post assert that trendy Yoforia is also coming to Church Street in the coming months.

Sam seems especially sure…

This is 100% true. My best friend is the owner and he told me Yoforia is coming. And it is also on Church Street.

Nothing on the Yoforia website yet though.

OK, so first question…where on Church Street?  My first official guess will be the old Atlanta Bread Company space.

Second question, if frozen yogurt shops will soon outnumber churches along this street shouldn’t we petition a name change?

Decatur lawyer and District 1 commission candidate James Radford writes in to let Decaturites know that his campaign now has it’s own Facebook page.  James says he plans to use the page to “discuss issues facing Decatur, and to provide information on campaign events.”

Radford also has a campaign blog, which can be found here.

The Grange was bustling this morning in preperation for filming of Tyler Perry’s “Why Did I Get Married Too?“  The pub is closed today and tomorrow for filming.

No star-sightings to report, just lots of sleepy-looking grips.

FYI…the distortion in the photo above is due to my walk-while-snapping technique, not because the pub was being sucked into some kind of vortex.

Could on-demand printing of books save small bookstores?  No comment from Barnes & Noble screams “quite possibly” to me.

Rick forwards a great article from the Boston Globe about a bookstore in Manchester Center, Vermont that has taken delivery of the country’s first “Espresso”, an on-demand “Book Machine” that prints books – covers and all – while you wait.  Right now, the machine has access to 85,000 titles, but obviously the sky’s as limitless as those for the much hyped (and IMO) uninspiring Kindle.

So, Little shop.  Any interest?

Yesterday the AJC profiled Decatur’s Easy Living pedicab owner and operator, Mike Gerke, in a larger article about how Decatur is the only place in the metro-region where one can flag down a leg-powered vehicle on your way home from dinner.

In Atlanta, bike taxis seem to run into some pretty entrenched city past-times like poor budgeting and driving.

Atlanta City Councilman Ceasar Mitchell said he likes pedicabs’ credentials as environmentally friendly small businesses that can fill the transportation gaps between buses, taxis and sightseeing vehicles, but it’s tough to make a priority when budgets and public safety occupy officials’ time.

He wants to hear more, too, about how to operate the vehicles safely and effectively in Atlanta’s notoriously heavy traffic.