Free-For-All Friday 5/15/15

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

81 thoughts on “Free-For-All Friday 5/15/15”


  2. 13th Annual Kirkwood Spring Fling & Tour of Homes!!!

    Festival:
    Tomorrow (Saturday, May 16)
    10am – 10pm
    Bessie Branham Park
    2051 Delano Drive NE, 30317
    Some of the many food vendors: Elmyriachi, Pallookaville, Ration & Dram.
    Playground and children’s area!

    5K Road Race:
    Downtown Kirkwood: 8am
    1963 Hosea Williams Drive NE, 30317

    Tour of Homes:
    Saturday & Sunday: noon – 6pm
    Tour of Homes will feature the beautifully restored 1907 home at: 242 Howard Street Northeast, recently featured in the AJC!

    2. Only good thing U2 ever did was introducing the Blues Boy to a new generation of fans. Even Bono’s pretentious jackassery couldn’t keep sixteen year old me from thinking “whoa, that dude is cool!”

      1. If BB was cool with Bono, that’s good enough for me! ‘Cause nobody was cooler than Mr. King…

    4. I don’t stand in line (except sometimes for Mary Mac’s). But I stood in line outside for several hours in the winter of ’78 (or ’79?) to see BB’s second show in a small club in Madison, WI. It was worth every frozen toe.

      1. I think it was back in ’74, when George Ellis ran the Film Forum in Ansley Mall, we went to see a showing of “Night of the Living Dead,” followed by a B. B. King show on the Film Forum stage! I don’t think that place held more than 100. What a great evening that was!

        RIP Mr. King! 🙁

    5. I can’t link directly to it because of the way the site is built, but click to http://www.kirkwestphotography.com/ and go to the Blues photos through the menu. You’ll find some shots of BB and a lot of other greats.

    6. It was either 1983 or ’84 when I saw him at Montreux. Wonder if Lucille (one of them?) will be buried with him. It would seem fitting.

      1. If there’s no provision in his will (and I hope there is), I imagine his family will sell them to the highest bidders as soon as they can.
        I first saw him in the summer of ’69 when he opened for Led Zeppelin at Central Park’s Wollman Rink. I lasted about 20 minutes through LZ’s set and split.

  6. Did anyone attend the DHS SLT meeting this week? I’m hearing that the principal made statements about not being all that into the IB Diploma program. Surely that can’t be right. We wouldn’t get rid of the IB Diploma program would we?

    1. I hope not. Having the diploma program at the High school is what makes Decatur schools attractive to us.

  8. Interesting read — Chevy Chase, MD’s tree ordinance (among other things) leads to political insurgency:

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/a-stealth-campaign-and-168-votes-in-this-little-town-it-was-an-insurgency/2015/05/12/75e94d8a-f817-11e4-9ef4-1bb7ce3b3fb7_story.html

    1. “No man’s life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session.” – Mark Twain (1866)

    2. But that could never happen in Decatur.

      And by “that”, I don’t mean a close cadre of activists masquerading as public servants making ridiculous laws that unnecessarily trample individual rights and inordinately encumber the few remnants of racial and economic diversity remaining in our community. I mean that we’d never have at least 168 people who gave a damn enough about changing things to vote.

  10. Decatur Heights Neighborhood Association (DHNA)

    DHNA Membership Meeting
    Tuesday, May 19 at 7:15pm
    (doors open at 7pm for enrollment– $10 annual dues/member)
    community room of The Church at Decatur Heights

    Join us for:

    Q&A on All Things City Schools of Decatur
    with Board Chair Garrett Gobel and Vice Chair Julie Rhame
    (* neighbors are encouraged to submit questions in advance to: [email protected] )

    Exciting update on the Overall Decatur Heights 25MPH Residential Speed Zone petition
    from Assistant City Manager David Junger

    Latest in other news in and around the neighborhood, along with a bit of DHNA Board business

    1. And Mark Your Calendar:

      DHNA’s Flag Day Potluck!
      Sunday, June 14 starts at 4:30pm
      community room of The Church at Decatur Heights

      Bring your favorite dish… and flag (as you wish)! A fun time of enjoying neighbors’ company!

  12. Any recommendations for a handyman who can finish off a fence and possibly re-roof a shed in my back yard? Thanks.

  14. I might as well be the first to ask for a recommendation. I live in a townhouse. I want to replace the upstairs windows (4) and the sliding glass door. First, does anyone have a reliable business or person to recommend. Second, should I get French doors instead of a new sliding glass door. I also need an awning to go over my front door. Does anyone have an economical option I could check out? Lastly, all of my closet doors are off track and most are useless. I tried to purchase a standard size and it just does not fit. Is there any option for replacement, other than having them special built? Thanks for any help or suggestions.

    1. Personally, I hate sliding doors. French doors take up more space, however.

      1. The design of new sliding doors look a lot better than the 70s/80s versions.

    2. Check with your HOA and review your covenants before you buy anything. There may be restrictions as to material types, styles, etc.

    4. I’ve done this renovation and my French doors were substantially more expensive but I loved them. Good reminder to check HOA guidelines.

    5. A super cheap workaround for your closet doors would be to get a tension rod and some curtains. We did this in one of our kids’ bedrooms where the doors kept coming off the tracks. I got some curtains at Ikea, I think, and a closet-sized tension rod at Bed Bath & Beyond and voila. Problem solved, until he moves out and we strip his room down to the studs and re-do it.

      1. Great idea–I think I’ll do this in the kids’ bedrooms–they have these horrible bifold doors that are constantly coming off.

    6. In business in this area forever

      Charles Quinn
      Quinn Windows
      2038 Luxuria Court
      Tucker, Georgia 30084
      Tel 770.939.5634
      http://www.quinnwindows.com

  16. Does anyone have information about an armed robbery that apparently took place about 5:00pm yesterday on the basketball court behind the Ebster pool and police station?

    2. Really? During Gators swim practice right next door? That’s rather upsetting.

    3. And there were a bunch of people right next to Ebster, too, filming that ESPN show. Brazen!!

    4. http://www.decaturish.com/2015/05/man-steals-backpack-at-beacon-municpal-center-threatens-teens-with-gun/

      1. In the shadow of the police station. That’s either an absence of intellect or an abundance of stones. Probably both.

      1. Thanks- I had googled, but was hoping to hear of good personal experience with a particular company/franchise, as there are a lot in the area.

  20. A quick plug for the summer 2-week comedy workshop for teens, offered by Highwire located near the massive Kroger. The workshop is billed as being like “SNL” — writing and performance, sketch comedy and improv.

    If this interests you, details are here: http://www.highwirecomedy.com/atl-teen-workshop – they perform a show at the end of the workshop.

  22. Soar with Cub Scouts!

    Is your son a rising first to fifth grader? If so, your family is cordially invited to the Cub Scout Pack 175’s End of the Year Picnic. We will be holding our final pack meeting of the year, building and shooting rockets and enjoying a picnic. It’s a great time for you and your son to experience the fun that scouting has to offer to learn more about joining next year.

    Sunday, May 17, 3:00 – 5:00 PM
    Winnona Park Elementary School Pavilion.
    510 Avery Street, Decatur, GA 30030

    Questions? Visit http://www.pack175decatur.com or email [email protected].

  24. A few weeks ago there were some folks here talking about the new DaVinci’s Pizza that’s in the old Mellow Mushroom space. Overall consensus wasn’t good. We decided to wait and give them some time before trying it ourselves. We were very, pleasantly surprised last Saturday at lunchtime. Pizza was very good, employees were really nice. They’ve revamped the space quite a bit and the prices were excellent. I think if you tried it when it first opened and had a bad experience, it’d be worth trying again. I don’t have any connection to the place; I’d just like to make sure anyone opening a business get a fair chance. We’ll definitely go back.

      1. Wednesday trivia sessions are mighty tempting, what with ten buck pitchers of Monday Night suds.

    2. We ate there last night. Service was awesome, as was the pizza. Their Greek salad, however, was abysmal. Mushrooms in a Greek salad – just WRONG. The crowd was pretty light when we were there — don’t know if that’s typical for a Thursday night, or if they are not as popular as MM. Green Ginger had a full patio.

    3. We’ve been twice–the pizza’s really good and they’re changing it from order as you come in to order from a waiter. Very nice people–and they’ll deliver! (Not tied to Papa Johns any more–yay!)
      They do need to add some atmosphere though.

        1. Heh. And good point. It’s like saying “Thank God Fox Bros and Community Q opened nearby. Gives us options other than Sonny’s!”

        2. If you needed pizza delivery, Papa Johns was the only choice. (Note–generally for the kids unless we’re starving)

    4. We too were unimpressed during opening week – we ordered takeout. Especially the Andouille sausage on my Italian sausage sub. It seemed chaotic. I complained about the bizarre sausage substitution, the person on the phone apologized but had no explanation nor offered to fix it.

      We gave them another chance a month later. We ordered takeout. No pizza — a calzone, pasta, and Italian sausage sub. Family members were quite happy with the calzone and pasta. My italian sausage sub AGAIN was not italian sausage, but Andouille. That is so wrong! More wrong than I can explain.

      I called to complain, the manager happened to be the owner’s son, and matter-of-fact explained that it is a “special thing” their store does — put Andouille on the Italian sausage sub. Even after I inserted comments on my online take out order said to be sure to actually use Italian sausage. He also agreed that the menus are wrong (he called it a “typo”) — the online menu/PDF and takeout site all say “Italian” sausage.

      To his credit, he offered me a free sub. But his advice “call in person and ask for Italian sausage on the sub” seems absurdly redundant for a menu item that already says “Italian sausage.”

      So in summary, good food, bad execution on the Italian sausage sub — false advertising. The online menu at davincisdelivers.com and their takeout portal (mypizza.com) do not reflect this bizarre interpretation. Don’t order the Italian sausage sub without talking to someone in person and getting clear confirmation on the ingredients!

  26. Anyone notice a bit of a danger with the intersection of Ponce, Nelson Ferry, Northern, Post Office? Seems like it’s a accident waiting to happen. When I’m heading west on Ponce to go up NF I’m always dodging people trying to turn left onto Northern or NF, who themselves sometimes get caught because they either don’t see me or a pedestrian that is all of a sudden blocking Northern or NF with a toddler in hand heading to the park. I can’t imagine going east is any better because you can’t see around the corner of Ponce if cars are going straight on Ponce or up NF. People turning in/out of the PO or the coffee shop adds a layer of confusion as well.

    1. The light at this intersection is awful. The light exiting the post office parking lot goes green when no cars are present. The light from NF takes forever. And most importantly, pedestrians are constantly playing dodgeball with their lives as they move from crosswalk to crosswalk in an effort to cross streets. It needs a period of time on the traffic light cycle when all cars get a red light and all walkers get a green.

      1. If you don’t report it, it won’t get looked at. DeKalb Traffic Engineer is responsible.

      2. Agree, it’s pretty bad. Good as time as any to revive my roundabout idea for this intersection…

        http://www.decaturmetro.com/2011/07/07/ponce-nelson-ferry-roundabout-possible-but-needs-support-and-land/

        In addition to adding better traffic flow, I’ve always said that a roundabout at this intersection will slow cars down coming into Decatur. Right now, if you’re coming from Atlanta and the light is green you can come into downtown at a pretty good clip.

        1. Yup. I get that the steep grade of Northern is an issue but a roundabout would do wonders for this intersection, both for vehicular traffic and pedestrians.

          1. I recommend an elevated roundabout to slow drivers down. Or a carousel in keeping with the playground next door.

        2. I have mixed feelings about roundabouts.

          I like the roundabout on N. Decatur at Lullwater.

          The roundabout in Emory Village is great for traffic flow – as long as no pedestrians or bikes are around. The drivers whizzing around don’t seem to have much awareness of pedestrians crossing. I am biased, as most of my time passing through there is on a bicycle.

          I think your idea is great, but given the pedestrian activity in the area, the impact of pedestrians on flow and how to integrate their needs need to be considered. I think the real issue in Emory village is having the crosswalk coincide with where the cars exit the circle when continuing on N. Decatur.

          I am no planner, but it seems to me a solution may be to locate crosswalks upstream/downstream/whatever to the circle (and direct pedestrians to them), and not locate them right at the circle.

          1. +1
            Agree about both existing nearby round-a-bouts. Like your idea of moving crosswalks away from the intersection.

  28. We are having a yard sale tomorrow, 3119 Alston Drive, all kinds of stuff!! come out. 7am-1pm

  30. The flexible street-mounted “Stop for Pedestrians” sign for the crosswalk across W. Ponce de Leon at the intersection with Upland met its demise a few weeks back – after a long, glorious life of being run over by drunk drivers leaving downtown Decatur on Friday and Saturday nights, it finally bit the dust. Without it, we can’t get cars to stop for us in the crosswalk (even when we are actually IN the crosswalk – they are just slowing down and whipping around us). Anyone know who/which office to contact about getting the sign replaced?

    1. Those signs were for a 200 mile charity bike ride. The AIDS Vaccine 200. Goes from Emory to Stn Mtn then to on out.

    2. What about the yellow sign today, “TO SET”, pointing north on Church Street, as seen on Commerce Drive near the little Kroger. (The BB3 lot was empty at the time. Are they done?)

  34. Just for fun and unrelated to anything Decatur, I have heard reference today for the one besquillianth time to the desert island scenario. What would you take, etc. My question is whether or not there exists anywhere on this earth a desert island. Surely we mean a deserted island? Just askin”

    2. Desert island doesn’t mean a island with a desert climate–it does mean an unoccupied island. English is a funny language.

  36. I wasn’t able to attend the most recent board meeting, but I noticed that the HS construction contract was re-awarded. After looking at the minutes and timeline laid out, I have a concern. As stated by the meeting minutes, the contract with Winter/CC fell apart because they couldn’t promise to stay within the $12mil budget. After requesting proposals from the runners-up, those proposals were still above the $12mil mark and were “value engineered” back down to $12.5mil + design costs. So, in summary, the school system lost the contract with the first team over budgetary constraints, put the bid back out, those bids came in over the original budget, they tried to lower those bids below the original budget and still couldn’t make that happen. Am I missing something? So now we’re left with our 2nd or 3rd choice team at a higher price point than originally envisioned? Argh.

  38. Is The Cask Room behind Avellino’s still open? There’s a lockbox on the door, and it was before the posted opening time, so I couldn’t tell. Has anybody ever gone there?

    1. I’ve been there and it’s a neat place! (And, yes, it’s still open). Very good place to go, especially on Tuesdays, to sample wines.

  40. Need a company to test for possible asbestos in loose insulation. Any recommendations?

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