Month: December 2010

Decatur Metro’s Top 10 Posts of 2010

Instead of my usual long-winded look back over the previous year, I thought it might be a bit more telling to look back at the most popular posts of the year.  I went with “10” because after that, the next 20 or so are mostly FFAFs and repeats of the topics listed below.

So without further ado here they are; an odd mixture of controversy, tragedy and restaurant happenings.

1.  Dollar General Coming to Oakhurst?

2.  5 Year-Old Found Dead in Oakhurst

3.  Progress at Decatur Diner

4.  Shooting at Pin-Ups

5.  Mac Magee Now Open on Decatur Square

6.  Stop-Work Order Delays Decatur Diner Opening

7.  Cakes & Ale To Renovate Three Retail Spots By Decatur MARTA Entry

8.  Farmstead 303 Opens in Decatur Depot; Menu Online

9.  Taste of Decatur Not so Tasty

10.  “Horrific” Hit & Run in Emory Village This Morning

Decatur’s First Fire Truck

If Decatur still had possession of THIS fire truck, I’m pretty confident that the city’s “Touch a Truck Day” would no longer be dominated by kids.  Car and history buffs would stand in long lines, wide-eyed, jumping in place, giggling, waiting for their chance to sit in this beauty, making all the relevant fire truck noises with their mouths.

But seriously, even if you’re not into historic vehicles, the photo is worth a look.  (I can’t post it here because like most state-owned photos, I’d have to fill out a form and make payment to display it here.)  Three Decatur Fire Fighters (circa 1914) pose in the photograph along McDonough Street in the city’s brand-new, $8,000 fire truck.  According to a note attached to the photo, it was the city’s first truck after the fire department’s establishment the same year.

The Old Courthouse’s tower is also viewable in the picture, along with a “hardware store” and Turner Funeral Home.

P.S.  Next Stop’s got another nice pic of East Courthouse Square up on his site, featuring what is now the Lenz Building prior to its “modern” facade transformation.  To get your bearings, the Brick Store Pub building is currently at the far left-side of the photo.

Free-For-All Friday 12/31/10

Feel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local issues not discussed here over the past week.

Comments close Monday.

Why is Decatur More Restrained in Renaming Things Than Atlanta?

Unlike the Atlanta City Council, which has gotten itself into some hot water recently trying to rename a couple streets after an Atlanta broadcaster and an architect, neither Decatur’s City Commission or its school board seem all that into renaming things recently.

Not that there haven’t been opportunities.

I recently openly wondered whether the Decatur School Board had plans to rename the 5th Avenue school once it was rebuilt as the 4/5 academy.  Nope.  And with all the recent street improvements, you’d think if a name change was in the works it would happen in tandum.  But nothing.  Sure we’ve recently named the MARTA plaza after Roy A. Blount, but why does Atlanta still have a “penchant” for street name changes while Decatur sticks to historic street names?

There certainly was a time when the Decatur City Commission renamed Oliver Street to Commerce Drive, but that era seems long past.  (In fact, that decision should be reversed if at all possible.)  Nowadays, famous Decatur locals are left fighting amongst new public buildings and civic spaces if they want eternal glory.  But in Atlanta, apparently anything and everything is still up for grabs!

Is there a reason for this?

Many Humans Meet Inside Decatur Diner

RsMcGr wrote on Twitter yesterday evening…

Did I just see waiters /waitresses sitting in booths @ the #DecaturGA Diner? Think they had blue shirts/white letters said “Decatur Diner.”

Marlatiara followed up with confirmation of many people in the Diner…

My husband just called and confirmed what @RSMcGr said – staff meeting at #DecaturGA diner! “About 30 people in there!”

Does this mean anything?  Who knows!

If anyone is able to sit down and order something, let us know.