Free-For-All Friday 4/9/10
Decatur Metro | April 9, 2010 | 7:00 amYou know the drill. Use this post to make comments and ask questions about local issues not discussed here over the past week.
Comments close on Monday.
You know the drill. Use this post to make comments and ask questions about local issues not discussed here over the past week.
Comments close on Monday.
DawgFan
Parker Cross
Mr. Mooney
7.62 x 39
Parker Cross
FM Fats
Mr. Mooney
Gary
gxhampton
GBK Gwyneth
Jane
Upatoi Boy
Looking Back: The 2011 Atlanta Snowpocalypse
Does anyone know the last time the main Decatur library building was renovated? Several Dekalb branches have been replaced or remodeled over the last 2 years. I was wondering if Decatur was slated for any improvements. I can’t imagine this branch being closed, so I guess they would do it one floor at a time.
The main Decatur library was significantly expanded and renovated 12 or 14 years ago. The entire multi-storey back portion and the parking deck were added at that time.
The Decatur Library was last renovated after a bond initiative in the late 1980s…it re-opened in in 1992. The City of Decatur (and other incorporated areas of the County) opted out of the bond initiative in 2005 that yielded the funds that are currently being used to renovate and expand other DeKalb branches. One of the current bond projects is to replace the Library’s current Processing Center over on Kensington Road…the new building is being designed to be large enough to house Library Administration and will thus free up some space on the 4th Floor of the Decatur Library. This space will eventually be converted into some sort of public space. Go here for more information on the 2005 bond: http://www.dekalblibrary.org/branches/new-libraries/
Did anyone else notice that Edo (Japanese restaurant in Toco Hills) has closed?
Yes, noticed it several weeks ago when we went over there to eat. . . . Sad sign on door. . . .
Is tonight’s bloc party (Springfest) at Agnes Scott open to the public or only students?
Yes, Springfest is open to the public. I checked with ASC this morning.
How can we go about adding guard rails (or even speed bumps) along dead-mans curve on commerce? The downhill sidewalk from fellini’s to the railroad bridge is a fright every time I take a walk with my kids.
I don’t know but something needs to be done about that whole section of commerce. I was driving home from work last night at around 6 and saw what loooked like a really serious accident at the intersection of Ponce and Commerce. Fire trucks, ambulances, the whole works. I just hope that the folks involved are okay…
Since it’s a State designated road (GA Rt 155), it requires GDOT to approve everything. Good luck!
making a request/petition at a city commission meeting would be ideal. getting a few signatures might help, but either way you’ll be able to draw some attention to it.
er, given the response above maybe the city commission wouldn’t help
I remember some of you guys suggesting Raven Cliffs Wilderness area for a nice day trip. Do you hike the falls or are there other areas you like as well? We’d like to go tomorrow. Thanks for any suggestions.
I hiked it many times in my youth. It is beautiful and there is a fun “climb” at the end.
yes, at Raven Cliffs you can hike to the falls. It’s a really nice trail, following along Dodd Creek the entire way. It’s a 5 mile round trip, and plenty of area at the end for sitting around eating lunch. There are places that the more adventurous can climb at Raven Cliffs at the end (not for young kids). How challenging you consider it depends on your experience; people who do a lot of hiking will consider it easy, but if first time hiking, it will be a little work…
http://georgiatrails.com/trails/raven.html (the description of damaged bridges no longer applies at least last year when I was last there, but I haven’t visited it this year yet.)
Though there are other great waterfalls in north Georgia, I think this is probably step for step, the most enjoyable single trail for falls up there (though there will be plenty of company on a nice day like this weekend).
It’s an easy walk to the “end” with many spots for a picnic. Then, if you’re inclined, you can climb up to the top of the falls. Much of this very vertical climb is on tangles of tree roots making it kind of a fun scramble. Playing in the streams is nice too. There should be lots of good stuff blooming now!
there might be some blooming going on now, but last weekend in the mountains there was zero. Probably more by next weekend (but probably some this weekend)
Attention Steve Harvey: Mr Ed called, and he wants his teeth back.
Would the GDOT really have to approve guardrails? Aren’t the sidewalks city of Decatur?
While we’re at it – how about adding a few pedestrian bridges at some of these dangerous intersections, such as crossing college at mcdonough and at college/commerce…
Yes, GDOT would need to approve the concept, design and installation contract because the guardrail is something that has a direct effect on traffic. For that matter, they also have to approve sidewalks on State designated roads. There was a big flap a few years back about sidewalks on Scott Blvd. The reason they’re not there is because GDOT would not approve them. They don’t care if it’s their money or not, as evidenced by the recent case of the McDonough St. streetscape. No State money involved, but they still had to have their say.
As for pedestrian bridges, they cost a few million $$ each and it’s difficult to justify the cost and who’s going to pay for it.
What about our new brick crosswalks. Did they have to be approved by GDOT?
Steve, would you like to answer that? 😛
I think I did.
When is someone gonna do something about all the problems?
I’ll get on it tomorrow. Or not.
Andisheh, that’s twice. I know you are more clever than that.
I have nothing about which to comment on gripe. So I leave you with this:
Say a word for Jimmy Brown
He ain’t got nothing at all
Not a shirt right off his back
He ain’t got nothing at all
And say a word for Ginger Brown
Walks with his head down to the ground
They took the shoes right off his feet
And threw the poor boy right out in the street
And this is what he said
Oh sweet nuthin’
She ain’t got nothing at all
Oh sweet nutin’
She ain’t got nothing at all
Say a word for Polly May
She can’t tell the night from the day
They threw her out in the street
But just like a cat she landed on her feet
And say a word for Joanna Love
She ain’t got nothing at all
‘Cos everyday she falls in love
And everynight she falls when she does
She said
Oh sweet nuthin’
You know she ain’t got nothing at all
Oh sweet nuthin’
She ain’t got nothing at all
Oh let me hear you!
Say a word for Jimmy Brown
He ain’t got nothing at all
Not a shirt right of his back
He ain’t got nothing at all
And say a word for Ginger Brown
Walks with his head down to the ground
They took the shoes, took the shoes from his feet, from his feet
And threw the poor boy right out in the street
And this is what he said
Oh sweet nuthin’
She ain’t got nothing at all
Oh sweet nuthin’
She ain’t got nothing at all
She ain’t got nothing at all
Oh sweet nuthin’
She ain’t got nothing at all
She ain’t got nothing at all
She ain’t got nothing at all
Thanks Decatur! This is my last day as Active Living Director. I’m simply amazed by the amount of selfless volunteerism of this city, whether for coaching youth sports like the Frank Lesesne’s and the Rob Pope’s, park cleanup days, festivals, committees, business owners like Peter Michelson stepping up with Park Renewal Day, awesome Safe Routes to School parent leaders like Beth Thompson, Neil Norton and Leslie Stuart, etc., etc. This is truly a wonderful city, and whether y’all know it or not, the city manager and asst. city managers are best in class. And thanks to Decatur Metro (and InDecatur, Next Stop Decatur and DNO) for always supporting our program with announcements and discussion. Again, what a special city!!
And good luck to my friend Greg White and the DAL staff!!
Thanks for all you’ve done, Dan, and best wishes.
Do you use a residential street as a “cut through.”
Well, I live on one of those streets — Adair — and I’d like to request something.
Please remember that this is a residential street, not the Indy 500. You may be trying to get somewhere quick, but it’s still where people with children and pets live. So, slow down, please?
Those stop signs are not slow down suggestions. Decatur Police will ticket you for not coming to a complete stop (COMPLETE stop), and it’ll cost $100 or more.
If you drive while talking on a cell phone, you MUST know you’re doing something risky. If I can’t convince you to hang up, AT LEAST hang up the thing when you’re in a tricky traffic situation, such as parking, in a parking lot, turning at a multilane intersection. Or driving on my street.
See, my street is narrow, not really wide enough for two cars to pass with parking on one side. And we gotta have parking. So, we all have to try to drive friendly, sharing the lane, taking turns. It mostly works, until somebody is a big jerk.
When I’m signalling to go into my driveway, please don’t try to pass me.
And if someone on your cut-through street is trying to back out of their driveway, the polite thing to do is to let them get out of their driveway. It’s a residential street, ya know?
And please use your turn signals.
By the way, I’ve noticed a Decatur Police officer on my street giving speeding tickets almost every day. I hear a ticket for speeding in a school zone is $400. You might want to slow down.
I 2nd all of your suggestions. Last week I was driving 25 mph in front of the elementary school on Clairmont just after 7:30 in the morning with kids walking down the sidewalk to school. The idiot behind me was honking at me to go faster.
The Decatur Police department could make bank if they pulled over all the people that run the stop sign in front of my house on Sycamore Dr.
Spike strips.
Preach it!
What’s a worse cut-through? Adair or Coventry?
I think people drive faster down Coventry because the road is wider.
Coventry is pretty bad — and the worst offenders seem to be the postal trucks …!
…and on Coventry you can get some wicked air over the railroad tracks in both directions! The only other places to get wicked air is on Commerce at Trinity and the speed bumps on Superior between N. Decatur & Scott Blvd.
(so I’m told)
What about that speed bump right below the railroad tracks on Coventry? That thing is flat-out reDONKulous.
One really cannot get a whole lot of speed up on Adair, but I think we’re more densely populated. We have two playgrounds. Many people want to turn left at my end of the street, across all lanes of W. Howard, to make that wicked crossing of the tracks. There’s a crosswalk right there at W. Howard.
It’s a STATE LAW that you MUST stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk.
Nobody in a car seems to know that unless there’s a little sign there. Which the state won’t put up in the middle of the intersection.
I rarely use Coventry as a cut-through. I use Pinetree. But I remember to drive respectfully and not race through there.
hi diane.
i live on candler and we have those little signs indicating that cars must stop for pedestrians. no one has ever stopped for me when i have attempted to cross the street. unfortunately without the police there to enforce it, no one pays attention to these signs. sorry you have this issue. the lack of enforcement makes candler a nightmare. i don’t see it getting better until the police get out and start writing tickets.
Does anybody know what happened to the wall in front of the cemetery? The sign had been damaged for quite some time, but on my way to work today I noticed that wall that the sign had been on was knocked down.
Somebody missed the curve for the second time in the last year or so.
I noticed some workers taking it down on Wednesday. Hopefully it is being replaced.
Coventry–speeders, after waiting at the long light at coventry and scott, try to beat the light at Northern and Ponce, but never make it. That’s why we got bumps long ago. Just figure you can’t make the light, so take your time!
Now with the popularity of the round and round/toy park, it’s even more dangerous.
For the record, police are often hiding out near the stop sign at Fairview and Coventry, and they hand out pricey tickets!
Has anyone ever picked up mulch from the county? If so, how did it go?
Nope, but heard a nasty rumor about termites…
and poison ivy…
Why did my emoticon thingy change? I did a huge cleanup on my computer yesterday after that visit from the FBI, thats all i can think of. Purple is not nearly angry or evil enough to go next to my name.
You haven’t noticed that zombies are taking control of your computer?
Slightly odd, though I guess a huge cleanup could have changed things. I wonder if your IP address changed. That usually is the reason for the identicon change.
Does anyone know of a place around Decatur/Dekalb to get vermiculite?
The Ace on Scott Blvd. has big bags of it.
Images by N’neka is offering $79 Spring Portraits in Decatur Square tomorrow morning. For details visit http://www.weddingsbynneka.com/blog/specials/
I’m at the beach!
Enjoyed watching Zombieland this weekend… Were any parts filmed in Decatur other than the Gas and Gulp scene? Seems like they were here for longer than that would have taken.