Free-For-All Friday 2/24/12
Decatur Metro | February 24, 2012Feel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local issues not discussed here over the past week.
Comments close on Friday.
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I hope I didn’t get anyone’s hopes up too much about doing a DM Happy Hour today. I’ve had some things come up and will be unavailable. Of course, that doesn’t mean that someone else couldn’t organize it…
this week not good for me, either.
One of my faves, Feast, is closing. So sad. All the best to Teri as she battles breast cancer again. May you have a speedy recovery…my thoughts are with you! Thanks for all the good times.
If you haven’t had a chance to check out Harbour Bar by Twain’s, I highly recommend it. Had some really delicious food (crab cakes and fried oyster basket) there last weekend and even our (well-behaved) toddler enjoyed it. Inside, you really feel like you’ve gone to a restaurant near the beach.
Totally agree! Friendly, attentive (and attractive) wait staff. Food was very good. Loved the whole experience (as did our well-behaved 5 year old). He did question the urinals-only men’s room because what if you had to do “something else” but we explained there was another rest room for that. Highly recommend Harbour Bar..
We just had dinner at the Harbour last night. We ate on the porch as the weather was amazing. Our toddler enjoyed the grilled cheese and my husband and I had very good and filling meals. Even the side salad was large and delicious. Our waitress was super nice and helpful. We will go back again for sure.
Sounds like your 5 year old is already way ahead of several of the drunk Emory kids who frequent Twains and still don’t completely understand the appropriate use of urinals and other bathroom fixtures!
We’re a couple of years into the new school calendar and I’m wondering what parents think about having a break every six weeks. Do you think the breaks benefit your child’s educational experience, particularly those children with learning disabilities? Do your children transition easily back and forth into the school breaks? How are the breaks effecting your work schedules? What did you do with your kids last week if you stayed at home?
No problem with my children. My ADHD daughter caught up on sleep and homework. Older kids, no problem with child-care. Use the breaks for doctor’s appointments. My son’s robotics team did a lot of work.
It’s OK, but we are fortunate in that I have a very flexible work schedule and we can afford to go somewhere for at least two of the breaks. I would like to see them get out a month later and start up September 1. I know that CSD can’t do that though b/c we are slaves to the EOCT.
I don’t buy the SAT/AP argument though b/c kids in many other states (as well as most private school kids) don’t start until late August or early September and somehow manage to take the SATs and APs and do very well.
There is also the issue of grad school start dates for teachers….getting out in June would not allow them to pick up the courses in the summer.
No problem for us either. I have a child with mild special needs- no transition issues. I like it because it allows us travel during the “off-season” (it isn’t summer when everyone else is traveling)! I also like the break from having to get kids up, fed, dressed and out the door.
We have done various things during the breaks: stayed at home (we have a nanny), traveled, sent kids to local Decatur camps. All have been nice options.
The September break is hard on us because that’s peak rev-up time at work, full of key conferences, deadlines, and meetings, not a time to be taking off from work. We have a real hard time coordinating reunions/vacations with family around the country since the only break that corresponds at all to when other areas have breaks is Spring Break (also Winter Break but most do not want to leave home at Christmas time). Our summer, September, and February breaks are not consistent with those of nieces and nephews and we often miss out on family reunions. It’s true that off-peak breaks make it nice for certain venues like Disneyworld but we’d rather be spending the time with extended, far-flung family.
We are not fans AT ALL! My husband and I both work, so arranging interesting child care is a task. However, my larger issue comes from the vacation recouperation for our daughter. Getting her out of bed to get to school on time after a week of camp (read delayed start time) is no fun. I also do not support only two months of summer. CSD can spin it however they want, but this is year-round-school, not a “balanced schedule”. I also have to say that for my child, these every six week breaks actually negatively impact her attention at school and her learning. We can manage summer learning activities, but trying to cram reading and math into “vacations” is a much harder sell. I would like a return to my school calendar…three months off in summer, Spring Break, Christmas/holiday break, and then the odd day off!
+1
With two working parents in our household, limited vacation time and flexibility, and lack of options for camps, we are not fans either.
Our family really enjoys the breaks. I do not have to worry with child care, which helps tremendously. We either travel, which is awesome, or use the time for doctor’s appt., wisdom teeth extraction, etc. My kids really enjoy the break from school and my high-schooler also can catch-up on studies.
Initially, I wasn’t a fan of the short summer and multiple school-year breaks, but after some acceptance, I’ve really learned to love it. The shorter summer makes it easier for my kids to re-engage at the beginning of the year. They actually look forward to going back and seeing their friends.
We love the breaks. Gives everyone time to catch up.
We love it. Our daughter, who can be a rough transition-er, loves it and has never had a post-vacation issue. In fact, just before winter break she started to have a bit of a hard time with school– enter the week break and she’s back to her old excited self. I understand how folks feel who need childcare– we fortunately have it in place– but the calendar is posted more than a year in advance, which helps with planning, and there are a lot of camp options available. We’ve also been able to have some great travel experiences with our kids that otherwise we would have missed out on.
As someone who has used the camp options, they are not as good as the summer options. I’m not sure why, maybe because there’s a limited selection of counselors available during unusual break periods. I don’t want to generalize too much from a limited number of experiences and malign any program or staff, but one child, who normally knows everyone and loves camps, is balking at doing them now over breaks.
I’ll join the chorus of supporters on this. Every schedule option conceivable requires some level of adaptation and results in certain “winners” and “losers” based on individual circumstances. For us, we’re able to take advantage of the off-season breaks and have not noticed any difficulty with our child winding down or getting back up to speed, so we’re fans.
We have mixed feelings. I can’t help but think that the kids are, for lack of a better term, cheated out of a summer break. Plus, child care can be an issue as my wife and I both work. However, we have really enjoyed vacationing in September. Everything is cheaper so we can do more, and there are almost no crowds, no waits at restaurants, etc.
Not a fan. Our child with special needs would benefit from being in school more regularly, and right now it feels like every time she gets in her groove, she gets another week off and all momentum is lost. Our other children also do not like the breaks because they feel like they never have a solid week of school. Honestly I don’t know how the teachers keep the kids’ attention, when they are expecting a day or week off every few weeks. I’d rather see a solid year of school and then a longer summer. It seems like every time we turn around we’re on another break. Or maybe time is just really flying!
Another good point. Our kids definitely get a case of short timer’s disease before every break, and I doubt they are the only ones.
Did I type this comment under a different name? I am obviously joking but I second this EXACTLY.
Works great for my fam. Awesome time to travel. I think my kids NEED the breaks. Two months of summer seem to be enough for them too. They’re always amped to go back in the fall. No schedule is going to work perfectly for every family.
We like the calendar with the exception of the February break. Seems an odd time for a week off. A long weekend between school terms would have been enough for my kids to catch up on sleep and unless you can take the time off from work and afford a fancy vacation like a ski trip or cruise, what can you do? I struggled to keep my kids away from electronics by doing touristy things in Atlanta (got some city passes, went to museums etc) and everywhere we went people asked if we were taking a day off from school. It worked this year, but not sure it will be fun for them again next year. I would prefer two days in february and 3 days added to summer. We love the September break, great time for camping or a cheap beach trip, nicest weather of the year.
We like it. As others have pointed out, we find traveling during these breaks to be better. Less crowds, off-season rates and cooler weather.
September Break is great (for the beachily inclined).
A week off at Thanksgiving may be the greatest innovation in the history of family sanity.
I can take or leave February Break
Our family loves the breaks. It’s been a great time to catch our breath during the year, and we have really enjoyed the off-season travel times. We both work, and it has been so nice to only have to schedule a camp or trip for one week at a time instead of 12 weeks in the summer. (It spreads out the financial pain as well). Our kids are always ready to go back to school well before school starts, so the shorter summers are nice in this regard also.
+1
I have no problems with it. I don’t have child care issues and I try to spend one day doing some sort of volunteer work with my two sons. I understand the nostalgia for the long summer but to be honest, by August it’s so dang hot it’s hard to do anything outside. I remember those long summers of my childhood but I also remember long stretches of boredom, which is not good. Overall, I think this is a good schedule and I hope it’s helping with retention over the summer. I do sympathize with those who have child care issues and for those students who find the interruptions hard on their studies. I am in favor of teachers assigning some homework during the break to keep the students on their toes.
We’re big fans here too — our kids have not had to be out even one day for a doctor’s or a dentist appointment because we’ve been able to schedule them easily during the breaks. I’m hopeful that as the schedule moves into year three the camp/enrichment options will be more plentiful.
If I’m reading into everyone’s comments correctly, it seems like families that rely on outside-the-home child care aren’t generally in favor of the schedule while familes with other circumstances seems to like it. I’ve never seen a schedule like the one CSD has and I have to say we’ve been trying to figure out what the heck we’re going to do with so many breaks when our son starts Kindergarten in the “fall” but I guess it is what it is. I’m hoping that AHiD’s experiences aren’t the norm and that the camps are OK (although I’m betting she knows what she’s talking about)… otherwise I see a LOT of travel expenses for coordinating with grandparents up North. I think I fall on the not-liking-the-schedule side, but I’ll wait until I’m in it to make a final decision.
I just hope we’ll also get this sort of feedback from those who are not “one percenters” and can’t afford to go on awesome trips every time their children are out of school. I am sure there are plenty of families that may be leaving young kids at home with their 10-year olds because they don’t have the usual back-up childcare plans that they have during the summer (i.e. cheaper camp options or camps with scholarships or financial assistance). I’m just saying the array of options is much wider in the summer.
I also wish our high schoolers had a longer summer in which to work full-time to save money for college!
I think it’s great that some families can enjoy awesome vacations during those breaks. For many of us, though, our experience is more about what the children are losing than what they are gaining during these weeks off.
Seems like there is high job demand for high schoolers who can provide child care to the younger kids during the breaks. I wonder if DHS can do some kind of “babysitter certificate” program, and then list DHS students available to work/babysit during the breaks?
That would be great. I’d like to see a lot more options for the middle and high school crowd during these breaks. Legally, you can leave them home alone all day at age 12, but that’s not necessarily the best for them. Plus they start to resist camps and other organized activities. A chance to to earn money would be a hit. Some kids are great at rustling up such experiences themselves but many could use some formal guidance in the process.
Here I thought I was making the most of limited resources by vacationing off-season during the calendar breaks but, come to find out, I’m a one-percenter! Damn it!
I always thought rich would feel, you know, richer.
I took this photo of Scott not five minutes ago!
My newfound stature as a one-percenter makes me immune to your attacks.
Most definitely not a “one percenter” and most definitely can not afford “awesome vacations” every time or often even at all. Both of us work, and neither of us have much left over at the end of the month. But we love the breaks. I am fortunate enough to work from home and can take my work anywhere (which means if we do take a trip I’m lugging the laptop with me!), plus we have an older child who is realtively self-entertained. Quite understandably this makes having the breaks far easier on us then many others.
That said, my CSD’er likes the time to shut down the brain and sleep in a bit. Staying up late is the icing on the cake. Long summers equals too much boredom and often whiney requests for “school just to start ALREADY so I can see my friends”
Personally, I don’t understand why the breaks aren’t aligned with labor day and presidents day weeks. Seems like that small shift could go a long way in helping out many of the working parents.
Thanks nola for starting this discussion/thread!
As a family, we do try to take advance of the Sept & Feb week breaks to travel (cheaper & less crowded). But don’t have as much vacation with my company as the kids have off during the year so some of these breaks are spent hanging out at home and a long weekend away as a family. My kids are not interested in any of the camps available during these weeks.
Also, both of my kids had projects due the week after the Feb break – so it was a good thing we did not travel the whole week so they could work on these before we left town. But that is where I have mixed feelings. Per CSD, the two weeks of “lost summer” have just been moved. I disagreed with this because my kids are being asked to do school work during this “time off”. Form another parent, not only did her child have a project due – but a daily assignment during this last break. I feel very strongly that we have lost some of our summer and that instruction has been pushed onto the families during this time.
LOVE. We’ve been on great trips during both September and February break, where we had normally crowded places practically to ourselves. We were only gone for four days last week, so at the end of the week we knocked out a few doctor and dentist appts that normally would have required an early dismissal. We have to do some planning in order to take time off work, but it’s totally worth it. I hope CSD keeps this calendar.
Love it. We stayed home this year and delivered girl scout cookies. We usually go skiing during February. Beach or out west September break. florida for thanksgiving.
we love it for many of the reason mentioned above…also a major plus is the break from the germ pool
Thanks for starting the conversation. I wanted to hear more what people are saying on this topic. I don’t have childcare issues so it isn’t super disruptive. And if given the chance I’ll enjoy off season travel. But I find the on and off a little disruptive. This February break seemed particularly pointless given that 5.5 weeks ago we came back from a 2 week Christmas break and in 6 weeks we’ll be off for Spring Break (which is what, 7-8 weeks before the end of school). I would prefer simply a long president’s weekend and start even a little later. It’s hard to get the kids back into the routine after a whole week off and yes I think it is disruptive.
I think August 1st is too early. I know a few families who are having real conflicts with kids having opportunities to participate in special camps (national band camps etc) but they conflict with the start of school for us. Let alone trying to coordinate a camp with Northern cousins. I know some considering private school for many reasons and calendar is on the list of reasons. We’re trying to do an out of state camp but there is only 1 session that isn’t either the week before school or while we are in school.
Kids are asked to do work during breaks and so it isn’t the same as Summer. I am curious if this calendar does what I believe was the stated intention of minimizing the “Summer Losses”, does it lower absenteeism? In the end, if the teachers really like it, truly believe it is better, then I’ll support it.
Our family loves the current calendar. August in Georgia is too hot to send the kids out to play all day, and they’re feeling the end-of-summer boredom with their indoor activities, so they seem to be happy and ready to get back to school. The breaks every 6 or 7 aren’t disruptive at all; on the contrary, they have provided a nice mental-health and sleeping-in break periodically throughout the year. As far as vacationing goes, we have taken advantage of the off-season times for a couple of the breaks (with great success), but we have also enjoyed just being home for some of the breaks.
What if you hosted a regional basketball tournament and your students didn’t come because they were on “winter break” and out of town that week? That was really poor timing. And for those of you who don’t have high school students yet, band and fall sports camps at DHS now start right after July 4, so your summer is really only about five weeks. If your students want to play, summer jobs just aren’t going to happen.
+1
We stayed in town this first part of the last break because both kids had sports commitments that first weekend. Our kids are invloved in activities outside of CSD and those organizations don’t build in time for the CSD fall and Feb breaks. I know that is our choice as a family – but just as a FYI to folks with young kids – sports practices continue during those weeks as well.
We are huge fans. We agree with the benefits of vacations at “off-peak” times. Additionally, I think our kids really enjoy it. It builds in a lot of things to work towards. Just after the Feb break, we got to say, :6 weeks till Spring break.” I think it makes it all that much more manageable for them. I frankly thought I would hate the idea, but goes to show………………………….
I love the September break, hate the week off at Thanksgiving, would prefer spring break in March and end date earlier in May – giving up week in February.
I agree
Jimmy John’s makes an amazing sandwich and really fast and polite delivery service.
I was amazed at how fast they delivered (within 10 minutes- though we live close), and easy online ordering.
I agree! I love that they will wrap any sandwich in lettuce. Also love the bike delivery.
I’d love to hear from those of you who work outside the home – and even those who don’t, I guess – about what your company’s policy for employee cell phone use looks like.
At my company, there are several folks who seem to be perpetually texting and taking phone calls, and these are not business-related. They are texts and calls between them and their children, spouses, etc. These employees seem to have little regard for whether they are in the middle of a staff meeting, a meeting with other professionals outside the office, or a meeting with their supervisor when they answer these texts or take these phone calls.
I am torn about what an employees cell phone use policy should look like. I mean, I see nothing wrong with answering the occasional text from a friend or family member, just like I have no problems with my co-workers taking breaks. I wonder if it’s a generation gap (though I’m only a few years older than the worst offenders in my office), but it seems to me that having an ongoing text conversation with your child about every detail of their lives – especially while those children should be in the middle of class and attending to the lesson – is inappropriate. In some cases, I am certain that it is impacting the workers’ productivity and has been a contributing factor to some careless mistakes in their work product (none of us multitask nearly as well as we think we do, in my opinion). And texting while in a meeting seems to me to be totally unacceptable, I also understand that many workers need to have access to their cell phones even during such meetings in cases where their child becomes sick at school or there is some family or friend emergency. My question is, where do you draw the line?
I’d love to hear your thoughts, especially those from parents who work outside the home.
This is definitely a relevant issue and knotty one because:
1) Cell and smartphone use has become so ubiquitous that schools, doctor’s offices, caregivers, coaches, practically everyone, assumes that they can reach you that way. Gone are the days when folks would patiently leave a message on your home machine or have the patience to dial first your home number, then your work number, then your cell number if they needed to speak to you right away. Critical info about my children has come via text or email during the day. Luckily, I keep my phone on me at all times, just in case.
2) Kids prefer texting to anything else, even a phone call. Once your child is somewhat free range, a texting relationship is a great way to keep up with them, especially if you work outside the home.
3) Many employers block web mail like Comcast’s so you need your own smartphone if you need access to your personal email, e.g. to coordinate after school carpool changes.
Having said this, frequent personal use of the phone or email or Facebook or whatever during the workday is inappropriate. But that happened in the “old days” too via the regular telephone. It’s one reason that some folks are not good candidates for teleworking–they need to be in an environment that limits their personal urge to get distracted by personal business. It’s a fine line for supervisors to walk–offering enough flexibility so that employees can handle personal business quickly and then return to productive work vs. offering too much flexibility to employees who do not have the self-discipline to use it wisely.
The opposite situation also occurs–supervisors who expect you to use your personal devices and home computer equipment to be tethered to the job at all times, responding to them whenever they have the urge to make requests, not respecting work/family life boundaries.
We have a very loosely enforced policy that cellphones are not to be used for personal calls at the office (noone minds 1 or 2 short calls or texts from spouses or kids or doctor’s office). But, many of the younger staff members have their cellphones sitting right next to the keyboard so they make sure they never miss a text, and there is a clear generation gap. The productivity and work product differences betweent the two groups is noticable to say the least. Unfortuately, like anything else, if you try to enforce the policy you become the asshole.
I think that the cell phone use depends a good bit on the employee: their responsibilities at work and their responsibilities outside the office such as being a parent.
I own a law firm. If I hired an associate who choose to text for two hours each day to her boyfriend but was routinely making her hours and was not making careless mistakes in her work then it would not bother me one bit. If she chooses to work until late or on Saturdays to meet the client’s needs then I don’t care. They can manage themselves accordingly.
On the other hand, if we are talking about my receptionist whose job is to answer phone calls and calls are routinely picked up on the third ring because she is texting then there is a significant problem that needs to be addressed. I am not paying you by the hour to talk to your friends.
Regarding employees with children. I think one or two phone calls per day to their child or spouse regarding picking up dinner or letting them know when they are home. But discussing homework for the day or other things are appropriate off hours. Nobody can have five emergencies in one day. I would also encourage employees to take the lunch hour to address personal issues.
But if you are talking about a person who is single with no children and are talking with their friends or texting more than once or twice per day it is completely unnecessary and I think that you should address it with them. And who cares if you are the asshole? You are the employer and you are paying people. In this economy you can find someone else if it is really a problem.
Good morning, DM community! Here is my gift to you today.
http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html
It’s a hummingbird migration map which charts the appearance of the ruby-throated hummingbird as it travels north, all the way to Canada, from its tropical wintering home. It’s exciting to watch the map become populated over the weeks from about now through May.
When people spot one of the little birds they send in a form with their state and zip code, and the guy adds a dot on the map with the date of the sighting.
The map is empty right now, but if past years are an indication, the birds should start arriving on the gulf coast within a few days and arrive here in Decatur in about three weeks.
I like that the site is a labor of love for the guy who runs it.
THAT is awesome. Thanks!
The site may be pretty cool but I’m clearly not mature enough to take it seriously with all that talk of hummers and birds. I will admit that I completely lost it at “hummer garden”
Yes, I understand that this is a “me problem”.
I know. I’m a geek. But just watch the map once a week or so. You’ll get sucked in.
This is one of the very first web sites I ever visited when I first got the world wide web. It was written up in the AJC’s Netwatch column. Anybody remember that?
Bah, when I’m not being deliberately, snarkily difficult, I fall squarely into the same geekdom as you do! Forget Netwatch, I remember starting college in, oh let’s just say more than 20 years ago and being one of the first people at my school to be given a coveted email account. They said it would revolutionize the way people communicated and that it would save paper and eliminate long distance phone bills because we could write to anyone and they would instantly receive it. Unfortunately, the only other people I knew who had “email” lived in my dorm, and since nobody had personal computers back then we would have to go to the computer lab in the basement to communicate in this brave new electronic way with each other.
Does anyone remember the pre-html, text-based “web”? As I sit here writing this, I am looking at my soon-to-be-obsolete CD collection, about a third of which I either bought or traded for on rec.music.marketplace!
I remember dialing into my high school’s “bulletin board”. Does that count for anything?
ha! I used to run a few bulletin board systems (BBS) in Savannah in the mid-late 90s.
I think I still have a box of 3.5s that all the software was on, each piece of software took about 5-15 disks, I felt so advanced. using 3.5s instead of 5 1/4s! haha
I got blacklisted from a bunch in my area by some geek at my school who didn’t like me.
I can “one up” you- I remember punch cards and having to use the binary system. And of course I grew up listening to 45s!
I remember those awful punch cards! Computers were monstrously humongous things that only the guys who took classes at both North Fulton and at Tech were allowed to use.
And girls got the typing jobs in the summer while boys got computer jobs. Anyone remember magnetic tape typewriters, the precursors to word processing?
When I went to college, I had the best technology–an electric typewriter. When I cut and pasted, I used scissors and tape.
Ugh ! You’re old !
When we subscribed to our first internet account we received a letter advising us to only use it evenings and weekends, when it wasn’t as heavily used for the “important” things.
I knew I had to start filling the feeders soon. Now I can’t wait to check the map each week. Thanks!
Can anyone recommend a good pest control company? Looking for someone that is efficient with pest control (small bugs, spiders) as opposed to extermination/wildlife management.
We switched from a long-standing vendor after they had a large turnover in staff and the new staff only seemed to want to get done quickly and cut corners. The new company we tried just doesn’t seem to do a good job and although they claim to return mid-cycle if you have issues they alwasy find a reason not to.
I use Terminix – and while it is not a small company, I think their service is great. The same guy usually comes out to do the quarterly visit and they will come out any time I need them, no hassle.
Peachtree Pest Control
Avondale Pest Control, Mark Medlin. 770-560-6072. Small, local. Reliable.
+1 – Mark is fantastic.
We use Rid-a-Critter and are very happy with their service as well as who they employ. Nice folks who do a great job.
I can’t say enough good things about Bulldog Pest Control. It’s an independent pest control company owned by a native of the Atlanta area, John Roberts. He’s a very nice, dependable businessman who takes good care of his customers. You can reach him at 770-466-4156 or .
After hiring many of the big companies for pest control, Decatur Pest Control finally got rid of the pest and continue to keep us vermin-free…for 10 years! They’re the best!
Been using Cooks since 05 and no complaints yet!
Does anyone know the status of the tea shop that was coming to downtown? I think it was called Cozee Teas… Has it opened yet? If so, how is it?
Not open yet. “Coming Soon” sign is still in the window.
Work does appear to be happening. I’ve seen work lights on inside in the past week or two and people moving around. Really looking forward to it!
I am eagerly awaiting the opening of this place – when the doors have been open and I was able to peek inside, I was really impressed with how much work had been done and how different the place looks. Hope it opens soon – bubble tea that I can walk to = happymaking!
Any recommendations for a reasonably priced outdoor lighting company in the area? Looking to upgrade from generic solar outdoor lights and enhance landscaping/walk way. Thanks.
We have twin boys arriving this spring who will be starting daycare in Aug./Sept. We’ve toured seven or eight options and gotten on all the waiting lists. It may not surprise you to learn that College Heights and the Frazer Center were our favorites. Would love to hear thoughts from my dear Decatur Metro compatriots on both of these options (assuming we are fortunate enough to be able to choose between them).
I hope you are able to choose, but I can speak from experience that the College Heights wating list is long and it may take some time before you get in. They can’t guarantee any spots, but have you asked when they expect your spots to be available?
And congratulations!
Thanks! Yes, we know it’s very tough getting into both and we will feel very fortunate to make it in either place (and we have backups lined up). Just very curious about people’s experiences with each, especially if anyone has had experiences with both and can provide comparisons, if and when we do get in the door.
We loved college heights. The whole staff and school are great. Plus, your child will form friendships that last for years. It is also a good way to get to know families from around town that may not be in your K-3.
congrats on the double blessing! (sorry…can’t weigh in on the daycare)
Do you mean the Frazer center in ATL on Ponce, or the Frasier Center in Decatur at the high school?
If the latter, I used Frasier Center for about 4 years and LOVED it. Very well-run place, loving faculty, excellent director, and I’ll bet it’s even better now that they’ve redesigned. Sadly I had to leave my 10-week old baby there to go back to work part-time, but he couldn’t have been in better hands. And they were very flexible in letting me do half-time care instead of full-time; not sure if they still offer that.
Also used College Heights and have the same high praise. Love the principal; all our teachers were awesome. They are really into early identification and intervention there, which I really appreciate and wish I’d had when my tweenager was little.
Frazer on Ponce, but the Frasier Center at DHS sounds excellent as well! May need to add it to the list. Thanks for the input!
We’ve had our daughter at Little Schoolhouse of Decatur for about a year and think it is great. Small, well run center on Church just across from Harbour Bar. Our daughter comes home full of new words, actions, etc and loves her teachers there (she is almost 2 now).
That’s another waiting list we are on. Really liked it when we toured. Certainly felt the most homiest of them all, which makes sense with it being in a bungalow and all.
Have you considered hiring a nanny? The costs are comparable to full-time daycare for two.
We have, and it’s just not an option we’re comfortable with for several reasons.
We love the Frazer Center, have been there 1.5 years. Even though we live near College Heights, I haven’t gotten on the list because my child is so happy at Frazer. I think you will be happy with either, have heard great reviews about College Heights. Apparently many of the infant spots go to siblings of kids already there so it can be hard to get in.
Tomorrow is the INTOWN Parents of Multiples Consignment Sale in the Salvation Army Gym (I-85 & N. Druid Hills) There will be lots of baby gear for sale.
You must be psychic. I’m in line waiting to check out at the member pre-sale as I type this. Found so many things to cross off our registry!
Our 9 month old goes to Frasier Center at DHS and we love it! She started when she was almost 4 months old, and had such an easy transition. The staff and teachers genuinely love being around babies and I know she is snuggled and well-taken care of all day long! We’ve been extremely happy with our experience.
We are looking for daycare for our 16 month old – And I havent heard of the frasier center at DHS. is there a website? or a number to call?
Call Jenna Black at 404-370-4425.
Does anyone else see the similarity between Andrea Sneiderman and the cartoon character Cathy?
We did not have a sexual relationship. AAACKKK!
The shape of the face and the hair-do are similar. But I always imagined Cathy as a dirty blond.
Andrea Sneiderman is, at the least, one weird bird.
To quote her directly : “Yep”.
LOL at this comment.
My wife and I were talking about that it is only a matter of time before she gets a Dateline or 20/20 or 48 hrs spot. Then, sure enough, after the WSB news last night the first topic on Nightline was this trial.
I am wondering if she can or will ever face any charges for having anything to do with her husbands murder? Poor children.
Getting banned from the courthouse will certainly knock down her chances of any kind of TV gig.
Neuman’s wife’s attorney seems to think she may getting set up for conspiracy charges.
Why do we keep building sidewalks if runners insist on running in the street? Pleae use the sidewalk for your safety
I don’t personally run, but I think the reason runners use the street is that asphalt is much easier on the knees than concrete. I don’t mind runners running in the street as long as they are running against traffic.
Georgia law says that if a sidewalk is available, pedestrians should
use it — and they are violating the law by running or walking in
the street.
What is the particular statute on that issue? And is it SHOULD or MUST? Just wondering, as a runner who greatly prefers to run counter-traffic on the side of the road.
Here’s the statute:
Where a sidewalk is provided, it shall be unlawful for any pedestrian to stand or stride along and upon an adjacent roadway unless there is no motor vehicle traveling within 1,000 feet of such pedestrian on such roadway or the available sidewalk presents an imminent threat of bodily injury to such pedestrian. OCGA 40-6-96
I can answer this: I sometimes run on the streets instead of the sidewalks because the sidewalks are cracked and uneven; have tree roots coming up through them; are covered in leaves so I can’t see what I’m about to step into/onto; are blocked by low branches, too-full bushes, trash bags/lawn debris, a neighbor’s car, young bike riders or a gaggle of pedestrians; or I see the road is wide enough and traffic sparse enough that I can safely run in the road on asphalt rather than on the concrete sidewalk.
Yes, agreed, all of these reasons.
+1 and in low light situations, there are more spots where you can’t see the surface because of shadows from the trees and bushes.
Asphalt has a bit more “give” than concrete — easier on the joints.
Do you have a specific complaint?
Most sidewalks look fine from a car, or are decent for a casual stroll, but once the speed picks up into a full blown run, tripping on branches and uneven sidewalks that are FREQUENTLY hidden under leaves and pine straw just make staying on them dangerous and impossible. I try to stay on the side of the road as much as possible but cars parked in the street push you further out. When I see a car coming and it’s not a wide street, I’ll get on a sidewalk, but as soon as it’s clear, I’m back off again. I don’t really ever pass runners, running slap down the middle of the road, so I doubt this is as much of a safety concern to you, as it is a pet peeve.
This – exactly. I don’t LIKE to run in the street, but the things mentioned above are big hazards. And I always step into the street for dogs on leash (to avoid getting clotheslined) and double strollers (it’s easier for me to move than them). I do spend a lot of time running on the path – we are lucky to have an easily accessible stretch of it. There I can just zone out a bit and not worry about sidewalk or traffic hazards (except where it crosses the tracks near the MARTA station – I’ve been buzzed by cars there many times!).
Flash Mob Frisbee – Renfroe field … Sunday at 3:00. Come by with your frisbee if you want to hang out … hopefully we can discuss Ultimate Frisbee here in our fair town. Also, go to Decatur Ultimate Frisbee on Facebook if you are interested and pass the word!
I would just check and see if it’s not already scheduled with something else. That’s a very busy field on the week-ends. Otherwise, have a great time!
It’s that time of year–our yard needs lots of TLC.
Can anyone recommend (1) someone who repairs or constructs retaining walls, and (2) a landscaping company?
Southern Landcare Unlimited. 404-822-2259. They do several houses on my street as well as the subdivision’s common area.
Now that the Emory Village roundabout has been open for nearly a year, I wanted to see what folks think of it. I don’t go through that intersection nearly as much as I used to and I am never in the area for rush hour but when I have used the roundabout, I was happy to not have to sit through all of the red lights. How is it doing, particularly in rush hour?
I really like it. Even during rush hour–actually ESPECIALLY during rush hour, it’s efficient. I grew up in South GA and freaked out the first time I was forced to enter a roundabout. It was like that scene in European Vacation.
Now I’m a total convert. Roundabouts for all!
I think it’s wonderful. I have to drive from Decatur to Morningside every Monday night around 6p and the roundabout makes getting through Emory so much faster. Not sure if it has done much to help the other direction. North Decatur always gets backed up.
Love it. It has drastically cut down on the time I spend in the car whenever I drive to/through Emory Village. I would imagine it’s better/safer for pedestrians too!
Totally love it. While I don’t have to use it during rush hour, I do pass back and forth through it at lunch time about once a month, and I believe its a huge improvement.
One more vote for “Do Not Like” the school calendar – yep, we are two working parents relying on outside childcare – so the summary that said we generally aren’t fans would be right. It’s so taxing on us and we do not like the camp options either. It is also compounded by all of your children’s friends going and doing something fun and they were in camp taht was sub-par -guilt!
We could have fun-family-togetherness on the old one-day teacher’s work day and not have to miss much work, schedule a vacation nor have transitional issues and still have our summers!
I loved the old way for the kids, the working parents and all involved. I am not a believer of any of the data that says this is a better calendar. I think we exchange old problems for new ones…
I see that Dekalb County is exploring balanced calendar
http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/dekalb-to-consider-shorter-1360451.html
I hear you – we are both 2 working parents and have had our daughter in daycare since she was 8 months old. thankfully daycare doesnt follow that school calendar or we would have been up a creek! our daughter will be going to kindergarden in decatur this year and we really dont know what we are going to do about all of these breaks. We both only have each 2 weeks vacation. so it going to be a reall problem dealing with all these breaks. The calendar really doesnt setup for working people….
Can anyone recommend a few companies to paint houses? Bonus points if the company replaces rotted siding before they paint. Our old wood house is in need of a touch up this spring.
M&M Painting. The principal is Fermin Mandujano. 678-413-2270 or .
We hired DSM Construction to paint our house last year. Owner’s name is Steven Sanders-Meyers. His crew did a great job. I thought the price was reasonable for a two story craftsman with tons of trim work. We also had them clean the gutters. Our house was new construction and they realized that the developer had not primed a lot of the wood. So they sanded, primed, and then re-painted. Also replaced a rotting column and noted some other damage on the deck. We hired had them fix the deck too. I was very pleased and would recommend to everyone. His contact information is 404-805-3801 and his website is http://dsmconstructionllc.com/.
I cannot say enough great things about CorrectMed Urgent Care on Scott Blvd! We are very fortunate to have a pediatric center with such a professional, skilled, knowledgable and compassionate team! Many new parents are starting to use them for their primary pediatrician!!
Do comments really close on Friday?
For anyone still in need of a Thin Mint fix: Girl Scout cookies for sale at Intown Ace Hardware on Scott Blvd today (Saturday) from 10-1. The troop selling is a group of Daisy Scouts from CSD.
Much praise for Tony Powers and the crew at Intown Ace for always supporting our community. Hosting the troops for their cookie sales is just one of the ways they give back.
Agree. To me, this store is the modern equivalent of the village general store. I might go to Walmart if I need a cheap suitcase at the last minute or it has a good price on whatever i-Device my kids now want but I go to Intown for all my hardware, gardening, house ware, and even much of my cleaning and gifting needs. I’ve even bought clothes and gloves there. With our family’s genetic unhandiness, we depend on the expertise and care of the staff at Intown.
Nubbs- In answer to your question last week about Viet Nails- yes, they do the shellac
decatur active living lax season is off to a great start! it was fabulous seeing SO many 1st-3rd grade girls out there playing…bring on the girl power!! oh, and the boys were awesome, too
Hey all, we’re looking for someone willing to make us a concrete walkway from Mr. Sidewalk to Mr. Front Steps. Small job. We’d appreciate any recommendations. Thanks!
Tim Wolfe (Decaturite) does hardscapes. I saw some beautiful walkway pictures on his facebook the other day. It might be more design than you need but he will do a beautiful job. His website is http://www.timwolfedesign.com/index.html.
Watching “Grapes of Wrath” on TV. Man, this is a good movie. It’s resonating in these times a bit more than I like. But I guess a classic is good for all times…
I‘ve never seen it although I’ve read it and saw the theatrical version staged at the Alliance years ago.
But I think it’s interesting that you mentioned it, even if it’s not “to make comments and ask questions about local issues not discussed here over the past week.”
Wouldn’t it be great if DM had a “Culture Thursday” where we could comment on and discuss what we are reading, viewing or attending?
Tonight I watched the chase scene from Bullitt about four times in a row. I’d love to discuss:
those great cars: the Mustang and the Charger
The gorgeousness of SF
How the music builds up to the chase, then disappears
The hotness/coolness of Steve McQueen
That this was all real stuntmen, no CGI
that would be a great feature but maybe it would be more than DM wants to take on, Still, I feel like I know a lot of you and the discussion would be more fun with you than with strangers on another blog.
Just a thought.
Re not being about “local issues”: I thought the fact that I was actually sitting down and watching TV, something I rarely do between work, laundry, homework, meals, carpooling, exercise, hanging out in downtown, these days, was big local news! Plus, I think the issues of downward mobility and unemployed folks who are no longer suited for the much tighter, rapidly changing, job market, never mind 20 somethings coming home to live with the family, was relevant to the past week, as well as the past 5 years!
Agree that discussion of culture would be nice. The TV commentator on “Grapes of Wrath” made the good point that the book ended up on a down note–the death of the new baby. But the movie, which wasn’t exactly a romantic comedy, ended on a more upbeat note about “the people” who endure forever.
As much as I love the mathematical concept of a number being undefined, I have to admit that this is me, At Home in Decatur, even though DM says “undefined”. I tried to edit my comment and it came out “undefined”. I promise that I did not try to divide a number by infinity. (Or is it by zero?)
Now, I am back to AHID. I was only “undefined” for a few, blissful moments. But my edits disappeared. Whatever. They weren’t anything brilliant.
DM book club! I’d be in. Seriously, no snark or sarcasm or jokes about how we would share our work after coloring those books in
Not sure that there’d even be anything for DM to “take on”, other than opening a thread and allowing comments. Or how about having the Decatur Book Festival “sponsor” a monthly discussion here? DBF does not appear to have a permanent, year-round website so this could be an opportunity for some free and easy advertisement. We could pick a book every two months or so, perhaps with some connection to the previous or next DBF, announce it here with a brief intro or background and then throw open a “Book Club” discussion thread after giving folks time to read it. I think we might have just enough geeks around here to make it interesting and worthwhile. Heck, I don’t know why the DBF folks haven’t thought of doing something like this on their own!
On the other hand, the fact that I think this is such a great idea probably means it’s dumb as hell…
That’s a great idea Parker- I like a “culture Thursday” or some variation of that idea however he sees fit to work it. Whenever there’s an open book/music story here, I get to get caught up on everything not mainstream that I have missed.
My current culture/tv obsession is a new show on National Geographic called Doomsday Preppers. Partly for the point and laugh factor at adults collecting & hoarding weapons, playing GI Joe in preparation for the end of days. But there have also been some fairly self-sufficient families on there. Not just with the typical goats & chickens, but a family with a tilapia farm in the backyard, and a family with a small yard, who have a tall upwards garden. It’s a bit of a mixed-bag, freak show (the guy who shot his thumb in half), but I have learned a few things as well. The people who hoard years worth of dried rice, beans, and brownie mix completely annoy me.
I like the Culture Thursday idea and the book club. Culture Thursday would be great convo with people I already find interesting, but also a way to get recs for what is happening out there. I went to an AMC Oscar Movie marathon yesterday, saw 4 of the best picture noms (coulda done a 5th but(t) couldn’t sit that long. Lots of fun, would love to discuss. Maybe this Monday could be Oscar Monday?!
Book Club would be great if every other month, and particularly great if selections were geared towards authors coming to or just at the Book Festival-talk @ a prepared local audience!
I’ve actually been thinking about something like this for a while. Ask Daren. I floated the idea with him a while back, after I saw the success of those end-of-year posts about music, books and movies. I hadn’t thought about combining them all into a weekly post. That might work better than segregating and doing it monthly.
Will have to think about what day would work best. FFAF was selected because it used to be the slowest weekday of the week, traffic-wise. Would it work on the weekend? Would allow for a bit more reflective talk and less coffee-fueled snark-casm?
Book club is another idea I’ve thought about. But to do it in relation to DBF might be difficult, since I’m not sure how far out they know authors.
Mmmmhmmmm…A big second on the hotness of Steve McQueen, especially in his “Bullitt” days– Brad Pitt wishes he could wear a tight pair of jeans like that. I do love me some ruggedly handsome bad boys (screen only, though, thankyouverymuch)!
This is MY dirt! No good but it’s MINE. All MINE!
Funny that you bring this up. It was kind of a surreal experience last night when we decided to try the newly opened Pita House at North Decatur and Clairmont. Ordered a falafel platter from a Middle Eastern gentleman, served on tableware left over from a Japanese place and sat next to two guys of indeterminate Asian and Eurpoean origin watching the tv in the corner tuned to The Grapes of Wrath.
I’m sure that someone like Rick Santorum could use this as fodder for trenchant political commentary but I just found it interestingly cool. It helps that the falafel was amazingly good (couldn’t really recommend the taboulleh, though I’ll give it another chance in case this was just a bad batch, and I look forward to going back for the gyro and chicken kebab when I’m through with my current vegetarian-only phase).
Lunch at the Pita House on Friday was falafel heaven. At about 1:30pm the place was empty, though. One other party besides me, and 2 takeout orders while I was there dining in. Hope it had been crowded earlier.
I hope so too! Anyone out there who thinks they hate falafel because it’s either hard as a hockey puck or as greasy as the Varsity’s onion rings, try these! I may have to do my own little cash mob to try to keep this place open!
OK, folks, it’s time to barrage the media again for reporting an unfortunate, gruesome event as being “in Decatur” when is was actually in DeKalb County, south of Glenwood Ave. A Decatur postal address does not automatically mean it’s in the City.
Here are the stories:
http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/woman-43-found-dead-1363522.html
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/woman-found-dead-decatur-home/nKQbf/
Tell the outlets and the reporters that they need to correct the location – Decatur should be proud of the fact that we haven’t had a homicide in almost 2 years.
Umm….no…Ridgeland is in the City of Decatur.
Ridgeland Dr is below Glenwood, well below Memorial. Outside of City of Decatur.
Ridgeland Avenue is in Decatur, Ridgeland Drive, as noted, is below Glenwood, well away from the City limits.
Also, if said crime were in City of Decatur, Decatur Police Dept would be handling it, not Dekalb.
That’s the point to make with the media. Even the cars are a different color.
“Even the cars are a different color.”
**********************************************
In addition to that *other* stuff that’s a different color. Gotcha.
J_T- Where the hell did that come from? You owe Steve an apology.
The Ridgeland/Decatur mention DID cause alarm for some Decatur Heights neighbors. No one ever refers to the Ave. part, so folks were concerned– I received a couple of phone calls and emails on it. Compounding the confusion was that when you plug 864 Ridgeland Dr into Mapquest, it shows Ridgeland Ave. (The “1” is obscured in the photo. Entering 1864 pulls up the correct location.)
(Steve- I emailed the reporter yesterday. Have yet to receive a reply. Glad to see your email worked.)
DM, that’s an inappropriate remark. I was detailing a fact (DeKalb cars are silver, Decatur’s are white) than an observant reporter should note. Reference to color in any other context has nothing to do with where a crime occurred.
If DM deems it inappropriate, he can pull it. And if I’m the only one who detects underlying racial tensions in the whole “That’s not Decatur!” continuing line of complaint, then so be it. But as with the uproar over something a whole mile and a half outside our fair city’s limits being tied to it, I’d again argue that sweeping something under the rug doesn’t really make it go away.
Deanne, I can agree to disagree to disagree with you, but my apology can extend only so far as I might have read too much into Steve’s comment.
Steve, I don’t know you but I believe that you didn’t mean to inject race into the discussion. However, in the context of this issue, I hope you can understand how your choice of words led to that inference.
J_T- The “even” threw you, but if you’d thought on it for a minute, you’d have recalled that this is one of Steve’s pet peeves and he’s made the cars point before without even a whiff of an underlying motive. C’mon, Steve likes facts and order. That’s all he’s after– even in boundaries discussions. ( If I were your lawyer, I’d tell you to go with a “steak deprivation” defense to explain your chewing on an innocent bystander.)
As for the topic of Decatur boundaries, it drives me nuts every time that discussion kicks up on here, but I don’t think it’s a race thing. For whatever reason, some folks just aren’t happy unless they can be easily recognized as “Decatur cool.” Two Decaturs.
There was no racial overtone to my original remark. I resent that implication and I fail to understand how my choice of words indicated that.
I was speaking from a civic pride point of view. Decatur has one of the lowest crime rates in the Metro and I think we should defend that. An outsider’s perception of an area is influenced by many things and crime is one of them.
As for the 1.5 miles thing, where do you draw the line? Decatur postal addresses extend 10 or 12 miles past the City and 1.5 miles is just as outside the City as 10 or 12 miles. Any location incorrectly reported as being “in” the City should be called out.
“…and I fail to understand how my choice of words indicated that.”
Just to help point out why it could indeed be seen the way J_T saw it: A better choice of sentence structure could have been either, “The cars are even a different color” or “The cars are even different colors.”
Your choice of, “Even the cars are a different color” implies that something else of different colors exists…and in my opinion it would have been a clever way of saying it, if that was ones intention, which we now realize it definitely was not.
Sorry I wasn’t clear. I was referring to the color of the police cars.
I was already confident of your intent, and it’s the intent that matters.
I knew I could count on my long-term commenters to sort it out on their own!
City of Decatur had a low crime rate for the Metro area even back in the early 1990s when it was less expensive and more diverse in terms of race and income. And folks were frustrated about crime reports that did not distinguish between the City and postal address even back then.
I’m glad to be wrong about that one. Thanks for the clarification.
This is why I think that Dekalb County and/or the USPS should be requried to change the mailing address of the very large portion of unincorporated Dekalb County which uses a Decatur mailing address. It seems like every single day some gruesome crime happens “in Decatur” when in fact it may be 15 miles away.
Agreed. They should call it something else so we can pretend that stuff like this doesn’t happen a whole, like, 15 miles from us (or in this case, only 1.5 miles)!
That has been tried. USPS will not change anything. The City of Sandy Springs has been trying for 5 years to get USPS to recognize them with a unique Zip Code and I don’t think they’ve succeeded yet.
The best strategy is to barrage the news media with emails every time they get it wrong. Remind them that it’s quite easy to get it right: who was the investigating agency?
Oh, and thank them when they get it right, which does happen occasionally.
Sometimes it works – the update of the story at least now says “near Decatur”.
Gotta say, having gone the past two thursdays to Big Tex. the chili is awesome! as is the frito pie and chicken n dumplins! both the cheeseburger and the burger with chili on it were amazing. and they have skiball! granted my wife beat me, i’ll get my revenge!