Free-For-All Friday 2/19/10
Decatur Metro | February 19, 2010Feel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local issues not discussed here in the past week.
Comments are closed on Monday.
- rss
Feel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local issues not discussed here in the past week.
Comments are closed on Monday.
Latest from Decaturish
If it’s illegal to harm the coyotes, can I catch one and keep it as a pet?
Coyotes are not protected in Georgia. So order that ACME anvil today.
…but according to The Georgia Wildlife Federation, North ATLANTA Right Whales are. So if you see a whale in North Atlanta hold your fire.
http://www.gwf.org/resources/georgiawildlife/protectedindex.html
Ha! What the hell?
Is there a store in Decatur (or nearby) that has a decent selection of party supplies like plates, napkins, invitations, etc.? It’s for a kid’s birthday party.
Party City at Northlake has a huge selection. What we do to save money is to pick a color, hit the dollar stores for plates, napkins, and cups in that solid color, then you have lots more money for cute decorations and balloons. BTW, the dollar store balloons are a great deal too.
I second AMB’s opinion of the Northlake Party City. And there’s a dollar store just behind it, too.
Or do the “green” thing and go to Ikea, those little colorful plastic plates and cups ($1.99 for a 6-pack), and use them for each bday party. I’ve been doing this for a couple of years. The kids don’t notice, and it’s just one run through the dishwasher and far fewer paper plates in the trash.
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90096908
I think I’m becoming a noise curmudgeon, but does anyone else think there ought to be a limit on how many leaf blowers a lawn service can have going at one time?
We’ll have to let Eric field that one.
Noise? What noise? My hearing has been wrecked from seeing Godsmack, Metallica and Slayer too many times.
Looks like you missed out on Mastodon, Wolf Eyes, and the Sword (Youtube ‘em), old man.
Way to reference Wolf Eyes on Decatur Metro! What are the odds of them and Kevin Drumm and Merzbow playing that Eddie & Agnes thing? I know, slim and none.
Ha ha ha, I mentioned Mastodon and Electric 6 when the Eddie & Agnes thing first came up. Probably not the kind of bands they’re looking for.
Early early this morning I had a dream I was at Eddie’s Attic watching Merzbow and Throbbing Gristle…thanks for the Merzbow nod, now I gotta find the box set….
Oh, and …and You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. Good stuff.
I hate noise myself. But what would this limit accomplish? Nothing more than to make the smaller number of blowers work longer, seems to me. The choice is probably between many blowers for a short time or a few for a longer time. After all, no matter how many blowers you have, you still must blow the same amount of grass/leaves/etc. My choice would be: use more if it helps to get the whole thing over with.
Not only do leaf blowers produce a lot of noise, they also produce a lot of pollution. I’ve read many a report stating that the average gas powered leaf blower produces about the equivalent air pollution as 17-18 cars. Here’s one of reports:
http://www.ocgrandjury.org/pdfs/leafblow.pdf
I say people should buy a rake! Environmentally friendly and good exercise!
First, let me say I HATE leaf blowers. Seems to me, those blowing always direct the leaves into the street, which seems unethical and wrong.
And rakes are more exercise. But if you’ve got a business, paying labor, you don’t want your workers to get more exercise, you want efficiency.
I know loads of people at my church are all in favor of environmentally friendly plates, forks and glasses, instead of disposable. Guess how many of them volunteer to help dry and put away the dishes? You can hear the crickets.
What electric blowers? I used one to blow the dog hair off my back porch into my back garden
Yes, the limit should be zero. As indicated in the article of Flaka’s link, leaf blowers generate noise pollution and air pollution, while consuming non-renewable energy (whether gas-powered or electric). If your neighbors (or their lawn services) choose to use them, then you have no way to escape the hazards. Why not ban them altogether?
why stop there? If we are to ban leaf blowers, surely there is no reason not to ban power mowers, hedge trimmers, weed whackers, edgers, etc.
None of those implements stirs up particulate pollution the way a leaf blower does. And I’d be willing to bet they don’t get used as frequently over the course of the year. (Landscape contractors seem to use leaf blowers year-round.) And to one of Diane’s points, I believe (based on my own observations, nothing empirical) that leaf blowers encourage landscape contractors and homeowners to merely push their leaves into the street so they wind up clogging storm drains, instead bagging them or mulching them or otherwise disposing of them more productively.
Let’s get to the real root of the problem – we need to ban leaves.
Yard work has lost it’s charm, I’m okay with either solution.
I’m there too. When there was a school bus parking controversy in the 5th Ave. area, I volunteered to have my lawn paved over and donate the space. Ditto for building the 4/5 Academy on my yard. As soon as the kids stop using the yard, our next home is a Decatur townhouse, cluster home, or condo with no yard. There’s always the Round and Round Park or one of the city parks if we need to experience mosquitos, humidity, kudzu, poison ivy, or weeds.
why don’t we ban cars, trucks, buses, MARTA Trains, and just walk. Then everyone would be broke because they cannot get to work, thus not needing the lawn services on a repossessed property…..jeexzzzzzz, give it a rest..
Yes, you’re right–nihilism has always worked well for people. Hell, I’m going to Vegas!
Since last Saturday’s recycling event at FBC was postponed for several months, does anyone know where I can take two cases of bank records, etc. for shredding?
Thanks!
Our Keller Williams office in downtown Decatur has been talking about having a shredding day to say thanks and give back to the community. It is tentatively scheduled for just after tax day on April 24th in the parking lot at 315 West Ponce. If you can wait that long we would love to see you there.
With the way time flies, April 24 will be here before we know it! I’ve put it on my calendar. Thanks, Sean!
Heard on the radio that Home Depot is recycling paint cans this weekend only.
Rain: thanks for the tip on Home Depot paint recycling. Your comment got me searching and here is what I found:
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2010/02/15/daily65.html
Why did the City of Decatur schools say on the postcard to register kids at the location on Scott blvd. but pre-K kids were supposed to be taken to College Heights?!
Probably for the convenience of staff. PreK is kind of its own thing the way things are arranged these days and its administrators are probably at the ECLC. The administrators for the rest of the schools are at Westchester.
To the person in the blue Volvo that sideswiped my parked car on Coventry Road this past weekend: I happily conclude that your car sustained some sizeable damage too based on the Volvo emblazoned debris at the scene and the paint on my car.
Hopefully you spilled your beer when this happened, or maybe you ended up putting a typo in your text message.
Hard to figure how a community bookshelf could work, when this kind of thing happens right here in our fair city!
Drinking and driving is a more common problem than drinking and reading!
Can anyone point me to a shelter or agency that would take used but perfectly good bath towels and a comforter? All freshly laundered with no holes.
Try Decatur Cooperative Ministry.
Call DCM before you drop stuff off. They don’t have storage space, so unless it’s a current need, they’ll probably direct you someplace else. They do take “consumables”, though, like soap, trash bags, etc.
you might also try DeKalb County DFCS– foster kids who age out of the system need to have some household items to take with them. If it is like the Fulton County office, call up and ask for their volunteer coordinator.
HalfOffGreen.com has Iberian Pig gift certificates for 50% off through tonight. A good way to check it out if you haven’t yet.
speaking of noise, does anyone know if touch-a-truck day will be back this year? i can’t seem to find any info online.
I’ve got it on my calendar for March 20, location TBA.
Here you go, under the “Live Well Now” section: http://www.decaturga.com/client_resources/cgs/citysvcs/rec/playbook2010/playbook%20winter_2010_1sm.pdf