Free-For-All Friday 10/9/15
Decatur Metro | October 9, 2015 | 7:56 amFeel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local topics not yet discussed here over the past week.
Feel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local topics not yet discussed here over the past week.
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Good morning. “Happy Friday”
In the AJC obituaries today is the notice for famed Georgia songwriter and singer Billy Joe Royal. His breakout hit “Down In The Boondocks” reminded me of life during the 6th grade (?) at Saint Thomas More and after school high jinks around the old Ponce Place neighborhood. Instead of paying attention during class, I would write down the lyrics of popular songs and try to add another verse. Just like Billy Joe working his way up and out of the boondocks and marrying that beautiful girl, I would try to find the courage to speak to that cute little brunette who sat nearby. Some of my classmates, Paul Kane and Jim White and I, would hang around with the public school kids in the neighborhood, Randy Sharian, the Latimer Boys, and Chuck Smith (Randy and Chuck still live in the old neighborhood) and would occasionally break out and sing the popular songs heard on radio station WQXI, “Quixie In Dixie” while on the First Baptist Church athletic field, the railroad siding behind the YMCA and other places in Decatur. Billy Joe Royal’s classic hit was one of them. We were all old enough to be interested in girls but still too goofy to do much about it. Eventually we figured it out and looking back today, it seemed like a lot of fun but at the time, it was hard and often painful. I wonder if young kids today have the same connection with popular music and the mysteries of the opposite sex.
Rest In Peace Billy Joe Royal. Have a great weekend Decatur!
Thanks for the info, Chris. My late mother was lucky enough to have dated him while in high school in Smyrna. It was one of her proudest “bragging rights” moments.
Popular music and the mysteries of the opposite sex will be forever intertwined. There are certain songs from the 1980s that always take me back to those days of adolescent angst. I figured it out over time as well, but you hit the nail on the head, Chris, it was often hard and painful. I’ve never understood those who tend to look back at their adolescence through rose-tinted glasses. Yes, it was often fun but there were plenty of lows and music was one the things I used to help me get through that time. I feel sure that the teenagers of today also feel that way about music, given the amount of headphone-wearing teenagers I see walking around Decatur.
It’s the Atlanta Pride Festival this weekend. Come down and celebrate!
I need some new windows for my house. Can anyone recommend an affordable company? Any recommendations on types of windows or features I should look for? Thank you and happy Friday.
Try Chuck Baxter 770-841-3570. He’s a contractor that replaced three windows for me. I just happened to meet him as he was working on a neighbor’s house and got him to give me his opinion on my windows. He beat Pella’s price by about 50%, and I apparently got higher quality windows too.
Marc Thompkins (404-788-7884) does great windows and pending year end gets my customer service of the year award. He replaced a 3 year old window with nothing more than a phone call this year. During the original install (14 windows total), I already thought he and his crew was fantastic – in/out within the day, clean, punctual, affordable and friendly.
Does anyone know when we will get trees for the concrete “square planters” in the sidewalks Downtown and in Oakhurst? Fall would seem to be a good time to get some trees planted!
You’re right. Hugh Saxon says likely November for the plantings. BTW, the planting areas are technically called “wells”.
Hopefully they will plant the trees right before they resurface Hill Street. That can’t come too soon IMHO.
I noticed the boxed tree at the Marlay is gone. Chadwick or anyone know where it found its forever home?
Pretty sure it was planted in that circular median near the dam for the lake/pond in the cemetery. I heard that it looked great for a while but now looks like its forever home has become its final resting place. If that is the same tree, what a shame. That was a wonderful gift.
We have a sizable stack of well cared for American Bungalow and Style 1900 back issues obtained mostly during an aspirational phase when we were not in a bungalow but desperately wanted to be. Now we are and don’t find ourselves leafing through those pages quite as often. If anyone is interested, would love for them to find a new home.
Think back (for me way back) to prom or homecoming. We had our event and went to an after party. Typically at a house or the lake with guys and girls. I have a friend who does not live in Decatur who explained to me that kids today have parties after such events that are sleepover’s. Is this common? In Decatur??? My friend said that in Cobb County, sleepover’s are regular event and appears to be quite normal. The reason for the question is that his kids are now older, Senior’s in high school. He has caught them with beer at his house as well as other items in the past. His fear is that 30 or so kids are about to converge on his home and what are his liabilities knowing that a minor on his land is his responsibility. (the non lawyer guess is that he has total liability both criminally and civilly for all kid at his house!)
I wanted to hear others thoughts about this topic. Do the high school kids do sleepovers after such events and how is the underage drinking managed? A no tolerance policy will be managed in my own home but I think it is likely that kids will try to get things in from time to time. I know that I did more than I should have back then!
Thoughts or comments welcome
I am an attorney, and I would never allow that at my house. Period.
That would be my position as well. Honestly I was very surprised that Sleepovers like that took place
Be careful. They are having sleepovers so that no one ends up driving drunk. They’re trying to be responsible while boozing. While I wouldn’t host something like this, you risk having the kids find somewhere else to drink and then drive home if you forbid sleepovers. And just telling them “don’t drink” isn’t very effective, IMO.
A friend has established an emergency Uber account for her kid. Seems like a good alternative for these situations.
Sticky subject. My thought would be to look at evidence-based best practices when it comes to how to talk to kids about drinking and what to allow/not allow:
http://www.samhsa.gov/underage-drinking-topic/publications-resources
Ugh. I’m several years from having to deal with this stuff and I’m already not looking forward to it…
I was not aware of any slumber parties (other than the old-fashioned kind: single gender and watching horror movies) when my kid was at DHS. The “after parties” for prom were at Waffle Houses and our kids took Uber since none of the boys had a license and the girls didn’t want to drive.
For what its worth, my understanding is that kids today “rent” empty houses south of Decatur that are for sale for drinking parties.
DHS certainly doesn’t want parents allowing their children to drink at home, given those “Parents Who Host Lose The Most” signs at the high school. And you are liable for what happens under your roof. What happens when one kid gets drunks and hurts himself or someone else, even if by accident? It’s not worth the risk. When I was a teenager, the rule was I had to be home by midnight and my Mom was waiting for me. I had to give a hug goodnight and that was so she could give me a good sniff to see if I had been up to no good. Since my Mom had no qualms about punishing me, I knew I couldn’t get away with anything like that so I never did. I hated it then and I am thankful for it now. Teenagers need boundaries even if they instinctively don’t like them. And it is against the law for them to be drinking, like it or not, so they shouldn’t be doing it and parents should not be enabling it. The other warning my parents told me was that if I got arrested, I should not call home because they were not going to come get me in the middle of the night. I was going to spend the night in jail and see how I liked the “accommodations,” as my Mom said. I heeded that warning and stayed out of trouble. It was good advice then and good advice now. Go to prom, have fun and then come home safe and sound. It is possible to have fun sober. God knows they’ll have plenty of time in college for all the stupid alcoholic nonsense they can get themselves into.
Looking forward to Decatur’s first Commission Candidates debate this Monday at 6:30 at the Decatur Public Library, hosted by Downtown Decatur Neighbors. A great opportunity to meet the candidates, hear their vision for Decatur and ask some questions.
Monday October 12, 6:30-8:00PM, Decatur Public Library on Sycamore
http://downtowndecaturneighbors.com/about-us/meetings/decatur-candidate-forum-oct-12th/
Intown Ace Hardware is having a HUGE sale this Saturday, 30% OFF, to celebrate their 30th anniversary in Decatur. Lots of activities going on, including a Weber grill cookout. Come on out and celebrate!
Can anyone tell me how to print a full list of all of the Porchfest bands? I need to start planning the best route now.
Thanks in advance.
They’re broken out by performance time on the online map and schedule. Go to the link and, in the menu, click the “All items” drop down for each hour and you’ll see every band playing during that time.
http://www.tinyurl.com/oakhurstporchfest
Yeah, I saw that. I was hoping to print the entire list of bands. I couldn’t figure out how to print the list just by the time slots either.
There’ll also be a printed program available on the day of the festival which will list everything hourly and on a map in hardcopy form. We’ll be releasing a list of all the places where you can pick one up next week.
I’ve seen so much about this event. I live in City of Decatur but not in Oakhurst… Is it intended for primarily Oakhurst-ites?
Oakhurst is in the City of Decatur. It ceased to become its own city around 1911 or thereabouts. The event is for all comers.
Yep. I know it’s a neighborhood within the city.
Great. Thanks!
It’s free, open, and all about the love. With any luck, the southwest corner of our city will become the densest neighborhood in the state of Georgia for one brief afternoon. Y’all come.
Geraldine Brooks, whose novel The Secret Chord hit the shelves this week, will be at Holy Trinity Parish (515 E. Ponce) on Monday, October 12. Doors open at 6:00 p.m.
This event is free to the public. Sponsored by Georgia Center for the Book.
Thanks, I hadn’t heard about this. I loved Year of Wonders.
GET SMART BEFORE YOU VOTE!
Learn about some of the most important items on the November 3 ballot:
**Annexation and new cities
**DeKalb County’s ethics changes
**Bond request for Decatur schools
Confirmed guests include:
**Scott Drake
**Kathie Gannon
**Garrett Goebel
**Howard Mosby
**Elena Parent
Wednesday, October 14 at 7:00 p.m.
North Decatur Presbyterian Church
611 Medlock Road, Decatur
Sponsored by Good Growth DeKalb http://www.goodgrowthdekalb
Obligatory request for anyone who may be selling Decatur Beer Fest tickets? Originally was not going to be in town, but plans have changed so now I’m looking for a couple of tickets.
You can still volunteer for the Beer Fest; https://www.volgistics.com
Still need tickets? Neighbor has 2.
Does anyone know if Decatur is having a Halloween house decorating contest again this year? We haven’t seen anything about it. Thanks.
I assume so. I have seen plenty of decorated yards.
Thanks Steve. I suppose the joy of the season should be satisfaction enough but my wife wants the validation of a cardboard sign.
Has the Great Pumpkin of Ponce gone up yet? That truly signals Halloween for me.
Not as of this afternoon.
Pretty sure I saw it yesterday! The moon/banana had not yet been hung.
Please join us tomorrow (rain or shine) for the Oakhurst Arts Run. The race starts at 9 A.M. at F.AVE.
Can anyone recommend a good company that will stain a large deck? Thanks…
Throw coffee on it and let it sit for a few days. That’ll stain it.
Hmm…maybe not what you’re looking for.
upcoming school break camps-
Decatur schools are out for a teacher workday on November 3. Science of Fun will have a full day camp in downtown Decatur for grades K-5. We also have camps during the Thanksgiving and Christmas break.
We have awesome hands-on activities such as dissecting owl pellets, fantastic flubber, paper making, homemade butter, solar balloons, elephant toothpaste, hex bug habitats and a brand new 2L bottle rocket launcher!
Lastly, since I was a former Decatur teacher we give 20% off camps plus free extended care to all CSD teachers and staff so please help us spread the word to them.
http://www.ScienceofFun.com
Happily,
Kris Webb
404-969-2161
There’s been a Decatur Police patrol car parked on Commerce outside Ted’s for four days. Is this a reaction to the recent downtown break-in spree?
I wondered where I left that!
Reposting the request for recommendations for gutter straightening / rehanging? Any takers before I spend too much money?
Can someone please post the contact info of the kid who pressure washes? I have small, rush job needed. Thx
Contact Christian at [email protected]
or call/text at (404) 630-5956