This idea has been floating around in my head for a couple months now and it’s about blinking time I kicked it off.

Taking a cue from the Andrew Sullivan playbook and his on-going “View From My Window” series, I wanted to test out the appetite for a new regular feature on DM.  Where Sullivan requests that viewers send in pictures of ordinary scenes taken out windows of their homes, I’m asking for you to submit photos of ordinary street scenes from your daily travails.  The ONLY qualifier is that it MUST include a street or sidewalk SOMEWHERE in the photograph.  (See my very ordinary example above.)

That means your picture could be anything from a fire truck screaming down Ponce, to a close-up of paw-prints in newly poured cement, to a serene pic of a neighborhood street during a stifling June heatwave.  The street/sidewalk doesn’t have to be the focal point, but it has to be there.  Somewhere.

The reasons for such a project are various.  Not only can views of everyday street scenes allow fellow readers to discover new parts of Decatur (and the surrounding area), but I believe that it would also provide a regular shot of reality into the virtual discussion that takes place here everyday, reminding us of the tactile places and relationships that tie us together.

We’ll try it out for a week or so and see how things go.  One photo will be chosen and posted each day.  If it proves popular enough, we can make it a regular thing.

To participate, send your photos to eyeonthestreet@www.decaturmetro.com and title the e-mail “Eye on the Street”.  Make sure to include the location of the picture in your email.  The larger the file size, the better. Also, by sending your photos, you grant DM full rights to publish and edit.

Let’s see what you got!

Monday night’s Decatur City Commission meeting was full of interesting agenda items, but nothing put butts in the seats like the proposed paving of College Place in Oakhurst.

A small stretch of road that connects a paved East Hancock Street to a paved East Davis Street, the issue of paving the gravel incline has long been a topic of discussion in the neighborhood and at the city commission desk.  (Jim Baskett mentioned during the meeting that he had long supported and encouraged the paving of College Place, as run-off of gravel onto East Davis was a nuisance, expensive to maintain, and a potential hazard to travelers in all manner of vehicles.)

And, not surprisingly, potential hazards of a gravel street was the issue most often brought up by residents speaking in favor of the paving.  Cyclists worried about hitting large rocks on East Davis Street, cars with damaged undersides, and elderly walkers with unsure footing were all examples brought up by the eight or so area neighbors who spoke in favor of smoothing the street.  Only one couple who lived in the area spoke in opposition to the paving, noting concerns about increased car speeds down road.

After hearing all resident comments and concerns, the City Commission voted unanimously in favor of the paving.  The project will be paid for from the roughly $35,000 remaining from the $90,000 allocated in a contract with Steward Brothers to repave three other Decatur streets (including a stretch of North Decatur Road).  The paving is projected to cost $23,202.

A note from DHS principal Lauri McKain-Fernandez informs Decatur High families that Imani Thompson-Twine (class of 2011) died of a stroke while representing the school in the Governor’s Honors Program for dance in Valdosta, Georgia this week.  “This is a significant loss to our school community. She was a lovely young lady.”, writes McKain-Fernandez in her letter.

The funeral is this Saturday at 11am at Travellers Rest Baptist Church 4650 Flat Shoals Pkway Decatur, GA 30034

Notes to the family may be sent to: Ms. Stephanie Thompson-Harris 494 Orchid Walk Stone Mountain, GA 30087.