Looks like Decatur’s newest Irish pub – with a VERY red exterior – up on the Square, Mac McGee’s, is now open for business!

RSMcGregor posted the above pic of the bar area on Twitter. It is republished here with permission.   After the jump, see his pic of the menu.

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Brent sends in this surveillance cam video of a suspect who stole a laptop from a neighboring office on Decatur Square this morning around 10:20am.

If you see or recognize the guy at the beginning of this video, please contact Decatur Police immediately.

Yum…acidy.

RainHarvest Systems has partnered with 5 Seasons Brewery to produce beer made entirely from on-site captured rainwater. RainHarvest Systems, an expert in rainwater catchment systems, and 5 Seasons Restaurant and Brewery, Atlanta’s premier micro brewery, both believe this to be the first micro brewed beer to be made entirely with rainwater in the United States.

As part of the partnership, 5 Seasons Brewery is creating a beer to be used by RainHarvest Systems for publicity events intended to promote awareness of rainwater catchment. The first event [occurred] on September 14th, 2009 at 7PM at The Decatur Square in Decatur, Georgia, during the National Conference for the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association.

h/t: Sam Wells [via Twitter]

Click to enlarge.

The Decatur Book Festival will close it’s activities on Sunday with a picnic at 6pm on Decatur Square, featuring southern and international cuisine. For $10, here’s what you can get…

Southern Foodways Alliance presents a picnic that combines flavors from around the globe to create a unique culinary experience that is excitingly foreign and comfortingly familiar at the same time. Southern mainstays will get cozy with exotic international dishes. Tacqueria del Sol will serve fried chicken tacos and turnip greens, Bhojanic will serve cornbread and okra, Noodle will serve green bean tempura, rice pudding, and ginger tiramisu, Pura Vida will serve goat mofongo, and caterer Nassima Neighbors will serve chicken curry with rice, samosas, and yams. Attendees will be able to enjoy this delectable combination of 12 items for just $10 per plate.

Rogue picnickers can also bring their own food to the event.  All participants will enjoy music from the band Sweet AlizAbeth.

As was prophesied by the DBF poster, monsters will wreak havoc on downtown Decatur starting today.  Wendy sends in this pic from the Square.

Sweeeet.  Game ON.

Looks like Iron Sky isn’t just donating equipment to the school system.

The city commission will vote this evening on whether to accept a $147,000 donation of cameras, hardware and software necessary for the Police Department to tape and remotely monitor activity on the MARTA plaza and Decatur Square.

According to a letter from the City Manager (page 33)…

“…the MARTA Plaza was selected in order to add an additional opportunity to provide a safe environment for residents and visitors, to reduce the incidences of skateboarding and similar activities and to reduce the number of graffiti incidences.  It will also provide the opportunity to monitor and record the Church Street entrance to the Decatur MARTA Station and the sidewalk going to the bus-to-rail transfer point.”

A map attached with the City Manager’s note (page 34) shows cameras not just focused on what we typically think of as “the MARTA plaza”, but also the MARTA entrance on Church Street and the Square behind the Old Courthouse.

Thanks to Rus for pointing this out!

Alex writes in…

Met up with some friends at Eddie’s last night. I left a little past 11, walked across the Square to go home and was stunned to find an encampent of homeless people who had made their beds for the night, right there on the Square, just beside the ’steaming’ children’s statue.

There were seeral adults, two of whom were stretched out on the benches, covered in blankets, catching their z’s. As I glanced to the right, I saw a stroller. Oh lawd.

I called the police non-emergency number and the dispatcher seemed to be confused about what I told her. When I told her that the folks were camped out by the children’s statue on the square, she paused and then asked if I had an address for that. I got a bit flustered and said, “Well, it’s where Sycamore dead-ends…..you know, The Square!”

She kept trying to put it together and I kept wondering how much more clear I could be than “the square”. But, true to form, Decatur PD arrived in about 10 minutes, asked a lot of questions and moved them along.

I’m not even sure what to say about this.  Things must be getting pretty bad out there if people haven taken to sleeping in well-lit, well-patroled areas.

If its Memorial Day weekend, it’s time for the Decatur Arts Festival!

You know the drill.  Saturday and Sunday, up on Decatur Square.  If you’re new to the drill, you can get all the details and maps here.

Also, don’t forget about the ArtWalk on Friday night from 5p-10p.  For the ful list of ArtWalk participants, click here.

UPDATE: From Beth – “the Clairemont Elementary School Rain Barrel Auction will be this Saturday, May 23 at 6:00 pm on the bandstand during Decatur’s Arts Festival.”

Third-graders will be participating in an age old tradition next Monday…bringing political life to the public square.

Can you identify the three branches of government and explain how they work? Are you able to describe how democracy began in America and its connection to Ancient Greece? If you ask a Third Grader from Oakhurst Elementary on November 3rd, they will be able to tell you.

To connect their learning to real life experiences, the third graders from Oakhurst are holding a voting rally on The Decatur Square on November 3^rd from 11:30 am to1pm. As students learn that voting is both a right and responsibility of citizens in the United States, they will encourage local adults to go exercise their right to vote on November 4^th. Students will remind Decatur citizens of those who were instrumental in our right to vote.

With a non-partisan approach, third graders will encourage adults to vote by carrying handmade signs; they will give speeches, perform songs, and cheer on the crowds. In addition, a polling place information table and map will be available to assist registered voters find their polling locations. Members of the Democratic and Republican campaigns will be present to offer information about their candidates. This is truly a hands-on learning experience for the Third Grade students at Oakhurst.

Based on buzz, Carl predicts a big turnout for this Women for Obama Rally featuring Ted Turner’s daughter Laura Turner Seydel tomorrow…

Saturday, September 20th 12:00pm Decatur Square, Community Bandstand 101 East Court Street Decatur, GA 30030  – Find out how to get involved in the campaign, mobilize your community and spread the word about early voting. We will hear from dynamic women speakers and then we will take action! Women will be able to canvass, phone bank or help out in a field office after the rally. This is our campaign! Free Parking available at the Dekalb County parking deck located at the corner of Commerce and Trinity.

Based on the number of Obama groups involved…I’d say he’s probably right… (ATL BLACK PROFESSIONALS FOR OBAMA!, Atlanta for Obama 08, Baby Boomers 4 Barack, Decatur Georgia for Obama, Georgia Women for Obama ‘08, Georgia Young Professionals for Change, Georgians for Obama, GeorgiansforObama.com)

For all the details, click here.