Free-For-All Friday
Decatur Metro | August 24, 2012Feel free to use this post to ask questions and make comments about local issues not yet discussed here over the past week.
Comments close on Monday.
Feel free to use this post to ask questions and make comments about local issues not yet discussed here over the past week.
Comments close on Monday.
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So what in the world is that monstrosity they’re building across from the high school? Aren’t there any building codes or zoning to keep that from happening?
/ducks to avoid flying objects
File this under “if I had a nickel”. If I remember correctly (and I’m sure someone here will correct me if I haven’t) it’s the new offices for an architectural firm. Next!!!
Ok, so lesson learned. I thought with a winking avatar and “/ducks to avoid flying objects” my comment would be viewed correctly as a joke. I’ll go back to work now.
i took it as a joke if it is any consolation
Consider me consoled
Me too. (Knew it was a joke, not consoled, that is.)
Sorry – didn’t realize your avatar was blinking. That early in the moming it looked more like a one-eyed Mr. Monopoly character
No worries. Mr. Boh comes from the land of pleasant living.
It complies with all codes and zoning.
It’s the world’s first Family Dollar/Walmart hybrid. Don’t worry, though. It’s so close to DHS that they won’t be able to sell beer, rifles, or ammo.
Fairly sure there’s a Trader Joe’s selling growlers going in the basement…
one man’s monstrosity is another man’s monument…
Andisheh fixed all the problems.
Unfortunately, Nelliebelle created more.
Nellibelle IS kinda a lovable hellion, isn’t she? Don’t know if she needs a talking to or a beer! How’s about we find out? :0)
What’d I do THIS time? I probably already forgot.
(hee! that’s so cute– nellie’s trying to run the “see what they gotcha for first ” trick on a bunch of old pros! :0)
I think both, Deanne– concurrently!
cuba- YES!!! And it’ll most definitely require a group of us to ferret out what nelliebelle’s up to!
nellie- So when are ya gonna give us a shot at it? Name your beer joint and time!
She’s still holding out for a Jack and Coke slushie.
Y’all have been carrying on about the Jack and Coke slushies for months, and now I can’ even remember where or, more importantly, when we’ll see them. You’re making me thirsty!
Victory Sandwich Bar:
http://www.vicsandwich.com/menu
Their new place in the old Johnny’s Pizza location has been “Coming Soon” for a while. I hope it didn’t fall through because I’ve been looking forward to it since it was first announced!
great, first community circle of the year at Oakhurst Elementary this morning.
i always leave these gatherings impressed with the children, the faculty, and the parent community.
#happiness
+1 bazillion!
I’ve heard friends mention going to the community circle. What is that? Is it basically what we used to call assembly, with parents invited?
It’s just about the most earnest, heart-warming and charming thing you’ll ever see, and that’s coming from a gristly, cynical dude.
It IS, essentially, an assembly. There are shoutouts from teachers, read by kids, for students exemplifying the theme of the month. There are announcements. Classes are selected to present short explanations tied to curricular stuff. There are a lot of adorable lisps and much nervous reading from index cards. I’m sure they have them at the rest of CSD’s elementary schools.
Held once a month on the basketball court if weather permits.
It’s pretty adorable. I live in the house that backs up to the basketball court, and I am an unseen member of the community circle each month. I think it’s awesome, unless I’m home sick and trying to sleep.
I actually thought about you this morning while we were making our joyful noise. glad to hear your positive attitude
I actually thought about you this morning while we were making our joyful noise. glad to hear your positive attitude.
This would make a wonderful theme for the next community circle! :0)
Your favorite five year old was there trying to push buttons on the sound board. Of course.
It does seem to be a Decatur tradition. Westchester had Morning Assembly every day. Clairemont has Morning Celebration with a longer, bigger, musical deal on Fridays which parents are encouraged to attend. A sadness has been that neither 4/5 auditiorium has been big enough to hold both classes together for morning meetings. Glennwood 4/5 initially tried alternating classes in some way but then gave up the concept. Instead there’s broadcasts, also cool, but not the same community experience.
It all sounds like a cult ritual to me.
Oh, it was a cult at Westchester, for sure. My favorite part was that Ms. Kuebler did word roots in morning assembly. Every week was a new word root or suffix or prefix and every day she’d give several examples, e.g. terrestrial, terrain, territorial, territory, etc. I learned a lot. I still say “Aquarium: What word root do you here in there? Ok, with the “ium” ending, what could this mean?”
Did you ever notice that former Westchester students are darn good at spelling and Scrabble? It’s a cult.
Must not trickle up to their parents. (here in there?)
Ooooh. Glad Ms. Kuebler isn’t here to see that. We worshiped her but definitely minded our ps and qs around her.
It’s part of the whole Expeditionary Learning thing. Getting the entire school together as one group for 25 minutes of encouragement and fun is an amazing thing. I am so lucky that I get to play in the band for Glennwood Community Circle. So many kids and parents know who I am–and it’s not for something bad!
Community Circle is a way for students to show their fellow students & their community what they have been learning. It’s too big to fit in the school so it is held outside, weather permitting. Next one is Sept 7th at 8am. You don’t have to be a parent to join in!
Photo–> http://is.gd/AS5wMK
loved oakie the owl – great dancing ms. Deming!
New stop sign on Commerce Drive at Robin St (near the Oliver House).
Yes, and please be super-careful here, all. For some reason they took down the pedestrian crossing sign in the crosswalk at that intersection BEFORE unwrapping the new stop signs, so I feared for my life this week whenever I crossed Commerce. I know it will take a while for people to get used to the stop sign being there. I’m going to ask the city if they can put back the pedestrian sign; a lot of kids cross there to get to the high school.
It seems to me that more kids going to the high school cross just south of that intersection and up the dirt trail.
everyone gathers on the basketball court. kids & teachers form
an inner circle; parents an outer circle. the kids usually have
rehearsed a small performance, they read items that recognize
model student behavior, and there are faculty announcements.
always a positive and nurturing vibe.
Any strong feelings about the deal to build a nearly one-billion dollar new stadium for the Falcons in downtown Atlanta? I mean, I know funding would come from the hotel tax, but is there nothing better to spend that money on? Schools? Transit? The Beltline?
One-billion dollars for eight games a year? And a possible Super Bowl that economists have proved does not contribute nearly as much to the local economy as the NFL promises.
http://www.ajc.com/business/stadium-deal-could-be-1505326.html
Your numbers are slightly askew. There are 10 or 11 home games – 2 preseason, 8 regular season and the Falcon’s annual exit from the playoffs in the first round (although not always at home). Besides, if they don’t build a billion dollar stadium, they can’t double ticket prices and make the games even more unaffordable.
It’s true that there are more than eight games. But does anyone believe that the preseason games have anywhere near the attendance of the regular season games, no matter what the “official” attendance figures are?
And looking at Atlanta’s recent playoff history shows that there has been one home game the past seven years.
Not much of a return on that billion-dollar investment.
Don’t forget the monster truck jams.
SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY!!!!!! KIDS ARE STILL JUST FIVE BUCKS!!!!!!
Only 5 bucks? I need a half dozen then to do yard work.
I admit it…one of my guilty pleasures. Total silliness all around, but it’s fun. And I can’t think of a better place for people-watching. Well, at least since Ozzfest ended. Damn, I miss Ozzfest.
A tip. If you decide to go, bring high quality ear protection. And use it.
This is still about Community Circle, right?
Hehehe…nice one, Mel!
Oh man, don’t get me started. Of course, the hotel-tax thing is already a “done deal” like Walmart so there really isn’t anything we can do about it. And if we complain too loudly, the billionaire owner will up and take the team somewhere else. Hopefully, they will at least build it at the site that is between two MARTA stations so there is at least public transit…
It is an absolutely scandalous and outrageous waste of money. But hey, when the government is in the business of subsidizing nearly everything, it becomes more and more difficult to draw any lines.
Must admit I am a bit conflicted on this.
I love going to games, but hate watching football indoors. So as a football fan, I cheer for a stadium that allows us to enjoy our beautiful fall weather. And improving the parking/tailgating/commercial surroundings of the stadium would also be a big opportunity to bridge the wasteland between Castlebury and downtown.
But as a taxpayer, I would find it appalling to spend $1B on a new stadium.
However, it looks like GWCC will be responsible for only $300M of $1B cost, to be funded by a bond supported by the Hotel tax (which is already extended to 2050). Assuming a 25 year years of use for the new stadium (like GA Dome), that comes to an investment of $12M per year. The stadium does get allot more use than Falcons home games (Conventions, Concerts, SEC Championship, March Madness, etc.), but I have never seen numbers about the revenue that GWCC collects for these events. And the GA Dome is perfectly functional for supporting these kinds of events for another 5-10 years.
I think the right answer is to build and indoor/outdoor stadium… but not until we have milked more value out of the GA Dome.
I’m also not a huge fan of indoor football. But the thing I’m the LEAST fan of is Personal Seat Licenses, which will be accompanying the new stadium for all Falcons season ticket holders. That’s right, you have to buy a “license” to then be able to purchase your seat.
That will mark the end of my tenure as a season ticket holder.
I’m sorry, “only $300 million”???? I don’t think you meant to minimize the size of tax contributions, but it makes me absolutely crazy that we (Georgia) are happy to vote down a $10 license plate tax that would revolutionize trauma care in the state, refuse to even think about an additional tax to improve transportation (yes, I know it was a flawed plan, but do you really think that any plan, no matter how perfect, would have passed?) but we’re willing to plunk down hundreds of millions of dollars on a football stadium? So a bunch of insanely overpaid guys can make money for a bunch or really rich owners and be watched by the few folks who can actually afford ticket prices??? Oh, and increase TV revenues to boot.
Seriously, our country needs to get it’s priorities straight.
You missed three key points that may be a factor.
1. Football > Trauma care. Who needs trauma care, right?
2. Football > Light rail and roads. Roads can’t get on a moving van and go away.
3. Hotel tax is other people’s money. License plates and sales tax is our money. If we had a T-Splost that taxed Nashville to pay for our roads, it would pass with 80% approval.
Ted,
While I agree $300M is allot of money, it is “supposed” to be an investment in a piece of infrastructure that will produce revenue for the GWCC with the additional benefit of driving economic activity within the city from conventions & tourism.
That being said, I have not seen any projected revenue numbers that prove it is a good investment for the state. I would be surprised if it drove enough incremental event revenue to justify the investment, given the GA Dome is still a clean, well maintained facility.
As others have noted… the Hotel tax only went through because it was taxing people who don’t live here.
Ideally – I say we should delay timing on a new stadium and allocate part of the Hotel tax revenue to beltway & MARTA expansion.
This all reminds me of George Will’s explanation about why football is not America’s pastime. Because it combines the two worst aspects of American daily life, violence and committee meetings.
I’d fully support this if it was for a soccer-specific stadium to bring an MLS team here. But I don’t care about football. This is all about keeping the Falcons downtown so they don’t flee to the suburbs. To all the urban planning experts and architects out there, can someone please come up with a stadium design that lasts so we don’t spend all this money to build these things only to tear them down 25 years later? Sheesh.
I’m sickened by the idea, especially in light of the fact that the Atlanta Symphony is about to fall apart. Yes, this is a total thread-jack but I think it’s important. The president of the orchestra was hired in April 2010 at $314k annual salary, when the orchestra had a deficit of $12 million. The deficit is now $20 million and he has threatened a lockout if musicians won’t accept a contract that includes a 26% cut in musicians’ total expenses, a salary reduction of $20,000 per musician, and a reduction in the size of the orchestra from 95 to 89 musicians, plus the ability for management to impose further reductions at will. No pay cut is on the table for management. The orchestra is running a deficit, but musician expenses represent only 28% of the total budget. Since 2006, total staff compensation increased by nearly 50%, while musician compensation only grew by 16%. The players have offered to contribute to their health coverage, accept a smaller orchestra size reduction and smaller pay cuts, and reduce the number of paid weeks each year, if management will share in reducing expenses. Management has stood firm on their one and only proposal — if the musicians don’t accept it, they will be locked out and their health & dental insurance cancelled immediately. In addition, the 2012-13 season is scheduled to begin in October, weeks later than usual, which means management won’t begin to feel any pain from reduced revenue until the players have been locked out (without insurance) for weeks.
This is a Grammy-award winning orchestra that has done Atlanta proud at the national and international levels and provided inspiration and opportunities for music lovers and young musicians all over Atlanta and the whole Southeast. This whole thing makes me sick, and thinking about it in conjunction with plans for yet another new stadium makes me sicker.
Maybe they could get a side gig as the halftime marching band at the Falcons’ games?
With ya all the way on this’un, STG…Daddy Warblanks ought to be ashamed of himself. H’s a got-danged billionaire, fer f__k’s sake, so he should use his OWN money to foot the bill!
$314,000? That is insane. I can’t get past that.
Atlanta is not a world class city. Why would we need a world class orchestra?
Some of the symphony members live in Decatur and are fine, fine individuals as well as musicians. This is a shame. Haven’t been back to The Nutcracker since the Atlanta Ballet symphony was mistreated and let go. Won’t go to the Atlanta Symphony anymore if management doesn’t treat the musicians with respect.
I’m sure the players appreciate the support, but even more effective would be to make noise about it, especially if you have connections — or connections to connections to connections — to the corporate community, which is where meaningful support for the arts has to come from in a city of this size.
I’m not excited about spending tax dollars on a stadium and I think higher hotel taxes drive down our attractiveness to conventions and tradeshow business. The whole deal stinks.
But if I’m honest, I don’t want the city/state spending money on a symphony that people aren’t willing to support either. (Same goes for NHL hockey, and I spent a lot more money on hockey than I spent on symphony tickets.)
I’m not advocating using public dollars to keep the orchestra afloat. Although, since we always seem to come up with a way of subsidizing professional athletics, IMO it wouldn’t be totally inappropriate. The whole community is richer for it when we have a vibrant professional arts community. In any case, I am bemoaning the absence of leadership at the highest levels of the civic and corporate community, that has allowed this situation to deteriorate to this point. That we as a major metro community could even be contemplating investment in yet another new sports stadium, while our world-class orchestra goes begging, makes me very sad. It doesn’t set us apart from other large cities — making different choices would.
This is a common problem throughout the country. Atlanta is not alone.
While I certainly don’t disagree that Arthur Blank has more than enough money to build his own stadium, I can’t blame him for trying to get someone else to foot the bill. That’s how these things work now unless you’ve got a complete egomaniac in charge (see: Jones, Jerry).
And if Atlanta won’t foot the bill, I’m pretty sure there’s a city in Southern California that will. That might just be the biggest bargaining chip.
Bad news: two very enterprising young women have invented an invisible bike helmet. This will eventually make it very difficult, if not impossible, to pass judgment on seemingly helmetless riders.
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/hovding-invisible-bike-helmet-hair-intact-head-safe/story?id=17049677&page=2
Thanks for posting this, DEM. Fascinating. And the footage of the two inventors pedaling through the sea of parked cars is downright beautiful.
Sadly, though, even technology will prove powerless to stop rash judgment. It’s the most effective tool we have for artificially inflating our sense of self worth.
Thanks for posting! Awesome innovation!
Reminds me of how Dyson rethought and revolutioned the technology behind vacuums and fans.
But it gets me thinking… Don’t these Europeans know that they are supposed work within in incumbent paradigms? They are from the OLD world! WE are supposed to be inventing this kind of stuff!
Hmm… I want to innovate too… I think I’m going to go invent invisible pants…
Love how they were told it was impossible. And 7 years and 10 million $$ later, there it is, reality. I hope they make billions.
Russ – You are not factoring Scott’s point into your analysis. In matters such as these, our Puritanical-value-judging-holier-than-thou American spirit hinders us. We’re smart enough to think of this type of thing. But we wouldn’t. The helmet symbolizes something that we need to hang on to – a moralistic safety obsession. Functionality and reality be damned. If you don’t have your helmet on, you’re a monster and must be stopped. So, no, no American would ever think of this type of thing.
Kudos to them for trying but….maybe it works fine as a neck warmer in Sweden but here? 90 degree weather and uphill both ways? Will it catch on my ponytail as it deploys, leaving me to receive my brain injuries in style? Also, aerodynamic it is not. And they said nothing about it having a falling acorn sensor. That right there is a serious flaw.
It’s a start. Compare the first cell phone to what is likely in your pocket today. Things like this tend to get immeasurably better over time.
I thought the same thing about heat when I saw the video last time it was posted here. There’s a reason that female cyclists in Atlanta wear outfits that look like lingerie. I’d rather have bad hair than be hot. Current helmets are detectable on the head but fairly light and airy. Not saying that air bag scarfs aren’t a great idea for certain climates and riders. But they’d need some improvements to catch on in Atlanta in the summer.
Plus I’ve had acorns and flying pebbles hit my helmet.
Plus helmet covers can be used to keep one’s head warm in cold weather and dry in wet weather.
Plus some helmets look really cool.
These threads about bike helmets have made me feel more positive about them than I realized I was. I now choose to wear one more consciously rather than as a reflex.
Is there any way to get a guard rail put along the curve on Commerce before the bridge? Or, who should I talk to about this??
Since it’s a state designated highway (GA 155), GDOT is the authority on what is done to the road. BTW, your question has been asked before.
“Before” the bridge indeed. For those of us south of the tracks, it’s after. “Uphill” from the tracks is more accurate, and less offensive to us southsiders.
Seriously?
I can’t think of too many occasions when I would take a suit-and-tie wearing squirrel seriously.
Very frightening incident covered in the AJC last night and going out on neighborhood boards. It happened in that area between O4W and downtown:
The incident happened about 7:45 p.m. Wednesday at Parkway Drive N.E. and Angier Avenue N.E., police said.
The girl was walking on Parkway with two friends, ages 9 and 12, when a man in a pickup slowed down and asked the girls where they were going, police said. They ignored him and continued walking.
“The man exited his truck, grabbed the 7-year-old girl, covered her mouth so that she couldn’t scream and began dragging her toward his truck,” Atlanta police Officer John Chafee said in a news release. “The other two girls grabbed the victim and attempted to pull her away from the suspect, who then released the girl and fled the scene in his vehicle,” Chafee said. Police said the youngsters described the truck as a black full-sized pickup with silver rims, possibly spinners. The rear windows had decals of red and orange flames or lightning bolts.
More details and a sketch here:
http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/attempted-child-abduction-in-1505042.html
To the owner of the big red pick up truck left parked for weeks at a time at the intersection of Forkner and Glenn Court – please have the courtesy to park in your driveway or garage. You are making it very difficult/dangerous to get through the intersection in the AM with the people trying to turn off Glenn Court, the Forkner traffic, the school kids waiting for the bus and the buses themselves. Also not cool to block your mailbox so mailman has to get out of his truck every single day to deliver your mail.
TRACKSIDE TAVERN TIKI ART NIGHT
Just last June, Free Art Friday Atlanta joined together with Trackside Tavern in Decatur to create its first show and now we’re back by popular demand!
Come see how your favorite FAFATL artists interpret this show’s Tiki/Monster Island theme while enjoying live music by Volume IV and The Accidents. There will also be a pig roast, so come hungry.
Support these artists’ free art by purchasing the pieces on display and keep your eyes peeled for a FAFATL drop that night in surrounding areas. Make sure to follow us on twitter to participate in the FAFATL hunt that night.
We hope you’ll join us for a night of friends, food, drinks, music and art!
Some of the artists displaying work that night:
Ars Gratis (@arsgratis)
Bottle of Pop (@btlpopatl)
fenix (@fenixATL)
Flounders on the Road (@the_la_l5p)
Larry Holland (@larryholland1)
Joanna Davidovich (@JoTheZette)
King Gorilla (@_KGatl_)
Rally ATL (@Rally_ATL)
RJ Clarke (@RJClarke)
R. Shepps (@rshepps)
Skull ATL (@@SkullATL)
Ted Murphy (@spookytoons)
Zombie ATL (@Z_ATL)
Is this tonight?
Nope. Saturday!
Can anyone explain to me the relationship between Fraser Center and Decatur High?
It started as a day care center for DHS students with babies so they could stay in school. Thankfully we don’t need as much of that any more. Now it mostly serves school system employees and community people. Also part of the career ed program.
I think it is a daycare center that is also part of the career technical/vocational training at the high school where students go to learn about early childhood education.
5:00 Friday! All is well . . .
Don and Kenny Davis ( of Davis BP where TDS is now) used to talk about a semi famous boxer who had a used car lot between The Marlay and the Post Office 40-50 years ago. Does anyone else know the story or have a way to contact the Davis Family? Doing a little research project.
Battling cloth eating moths. Has anyone dealt with this ? I need a recommendation for an exterminator experienced with these tenacious pests !
Me, too! Just discovered last week. I got everything out of the coat closet, inspected w/ flashlight & magnifying glass, found several things in crevices that were either pupae or egg cases (did away with them, of course). Took coats to cleaners, vacuumed everything, made sure all yarn and everything else is inside plastic w/ mothballs or lavender or cedar. I am still seeing a stray moth flitting about the house every few days. (Oh-so-cleverly plucked one off the ceiling the other day, using the hand vac. Then proceeded to open the vac to empty the filter, and it flew right out and away.)
We’ve been fighting them for a couple of months. I read all the stuff on line and did what you mentioned. Sent rugs out for cleaning and moth proofing . Even replaced the rug pads. Went almost a month without a single sign of them. Thought we had it under control but …no….. ! They have returned with reinforcements .
Ready to surrender and hand it over to a professional now.
For everyone with an escape-artist dog …
http://www.retrievatracking.com
Awesome. That’s exactly what I’ve been saying I wish someone would develop. Can’t rely on the neighbors or the nice folks at CVS to return Stanley whenever he wanders out of the yard chasing some critter!
At $400 plus a $125 annual fee it ain’t cheap, but we may need to make that fit in dog care budget.
It may not affect many here, but I understand the Piccadilly Cafeteria at Suburban will close after tomorrow (Sunday).
Oh dear. My parents love places like that when they visit. Evan’s Fine Foods better not close or I won’t know what to do with them.
I’m looking for a local pick-up CSA. I know about Moore’s Farm and just googled up Farm Fresh, which say they deliver to Sawicki’s. Any experience with Farm Fresh or another alternative?
Riverview farms–pick up at the Oakhurst Community Garden
Does anyone know what those insects are that are suddenly everywhere? They fly, they’re bigger than a gnat but smaller than a fly but sort of shaped like one, shiny green body, and a really, really &$^#%ing painful bite. They are hard to kill with a hard smack and they don’t seem to mind DEET.
I need to know the name before I summon Beelzebub to wipe them all off the face of the erf.
Al: You may be seeing Kudzu bugs. They are harder than heck to kill unless you squash them, but should go away when the weather gets cooler.
My eight year old told me what they were, as one was biting the bejeezus out of my arm. They’re “sweat bees.”
This morning, while walking the dog, My youngest and I saw a sign for a party at Oakhurst park from 1-3. Free food and free school supplies, it said. Curious, I took both my girls, figuring if it was Scientologists or the GOP, we could plan an escape route beforehand.
The food was burgers & hot dogs, candy, and all kinds of chips and drinks; the school supplies were all quality stuff. It was awesome.
I asked the nice lady who was giving us whatever we wanted if they were with a local church (the usual source of free stuff) and she said, “I worked at the (I think she said ‘census,’ but there were too many happy loud kids for me to hear) over there for 35 years, and I just wanted to give some back.” That blew my mind.
I didn’t get a chance to ask her name, but I’d like to thank her publicly and say that it’s people like her who make this such a great community and a place for children to grow up happy and believing in others.
we were at the park earlier that morning and saw them setting up but couldn’t stay..so awesome!
Where’s Decatur’s Community Solar Garden? And how do I sign up?
http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/incentive.cfm?Incentive_Code=CO218F