Free-For-All Friday 10/15/10
Decatur Metro | October 15, 2010 | 7:51 amFeel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local issues not already discussed here over the past week.
Comments close Monday.
Feel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local issues not already discussed here over the past week.
Comments close Monday.
Decatur Metro
Rick Julian
spreak
Marty
Old School
Brianc
Steve
smalltowngal
Decatur Metro
Decatur Metro
toml
toml
Elizabeth
Elizabeth
Brianc
Would it be possible for home owners to trim their tress/bushes that block the sidewalks?? In some places it’s almost impossible to pass without going into the road especially if you have a stroller or dog or just don’t want to have to step out into the road.
I know you can “report” them to the city but that seems harsh – maybe cards in their mail boxes first would help but surely they can see their bushes/trees are way overgrown (not that they don’t look pretty, just not practical for those who walk a lot)
Oh and while we are on the subject – how about not blocking the sidewalk with your cars? If you can’t fit 2 cars (or 1 badly parked car) on your driveway without blocking the sidewalk please park on the road as again you are forcing me to walk in the road (and per many recent posts here you know how drivers in Decatur don’t like to look out for pedestrians on designated walk ways let alone the road
)
This is one of my pet peeves as well. It’s especially annoying when you’re pushing a stroller or running and you have to veer off the sidewalk, over the curb and in to the road. I wouldn’t feel bad about reporting them. I’m sure the city would just mail them a notice or something.
And how about doing something about the developers who block the sidewalks with portapotties?? FOR MONTHS! TOILETS ON THE FREAKING SIDEWALK! You think the way code enforcement drives around the city they’d notice that.
Steve will have to confirm this, but I’m pretty sure that’s not legal.
There was one on Underwood and one on Jefferson off Ansley. Both sat for months. I know for a fact the inspectors were by the Underwood house all the time. It’s really gross and annoying.
Sec. 86-2. Property owners to keep sidewalks and/or pedestrian rights-of-way clean.
(a) It shall be the duty of all property owners to keep sidewalks, and/or pedestrian rights-of-way on all sides of their property clean and free of papers, cups and waste of any kind on any day except refuse collection day. If the property is leased to a tenant, then the tenant shall be responsible for keeping sidewalks and/or pedestrian right-of-way clean. Upon being notified by a codes enforcement officer of any dirty condition of such sidewalks and rights-of-way the property, the owner or tenant shall be given seven days to clean such sidewalks or rights-of-way.
(b) The codes enforcement officer, public works director and his/her designees, and the city engineer and his/her designees are hereby authorized, empowered and directed to enforce compliance with this article.
Sec. 86-4. Sidewalks not to be obstructed for more than 30 minutes.
No obstructions shall be placed on any sidewalks in the city for a period exceeding 30 minutes.
Sec. 86-10. Contractors and other persons building or repairing shall place red lights around obstructions on streets and sidewalks at night.
Whenever any contractor or other person is building or repairing buildings in the city and has material of any kind piled on the sidewalks or streets, it shall be the duty of the contractor, builder or other person to place red lights or torches around such obstructions at night in sufficient numbers to warn pedestrians and other people on such streets.
So it says “materials”; toilets are not materials!
Also, per the PEDS.org website “Georgia Legal Code 40-6-203 forbids drivers from stopping, standing, or parking a vehicle on the sidewalk or in the sidewalk area of driveways.”.
If you go to the PEDS website they also have this nifty little Mock Parking ticket that you can place on an owners windshield as a “gentle” reminder. here’s the link:
http://peds.org/take_action/sidewalk_parking/
I am totally doing this.
Less like a “gentle” reminder and more a passive/aggressive one.
You think? I was thinking it was preferable to calling the coppers or the city…. usually you can’t find the contractor or the owner.
Yeah, like the nice “reminder” I got by one of my neighbors when I made the egregious mistake of parking (completely legally) too close to her mailbox. I had come home late one night and my driveway was blocked by some other neighbor’s guest so I had to park 2 doors down on the street. Yes, I blocked someone’s mailbox. Of course, our carrier would usually park at the end of the street and walk the mail down because most of the mailboxes were blocked by (legally) parked cares. So I was a little annoyed when I saw the note on my windshield reminding me that I had greatly inconvenienced my neighbor and that she had forgiven me that one time, but I should never do it again.
OK, annoyed was not the right word. I was livid. Just as I was tearing up the note, I saw her come out of her house. She was dressed nicer than usual and I realized that she was probably heading to church. I never liked her much anyway, so I rolled down the window and yelled “Happy Sunday!”. To this day, I have no idea if she ever realized how dumb it was to scold me for blocking her mailbox on a Saturday night.
She sounds like a tool!
I agree!
If you aren’t headed to the Beer festival or other event, the Stone Mountain Highland Games are this weekend. Perfect weather for bagpipes, massed bands, children’s events, Celtic crafts, and more.
http://www.smhg.org/index.html
Does anybody know what all the construction is on South Candler near Midway, and why it’s taking so long to fix the problem? I thought it was some sort of water problem, but it has been going on for a long time, and the caution cones on Candler are more plentiful than ever.
Get used to it. It’s a 2,649,000 dollar headache. According to the GDOT it’s purpose is to: Replace Culvert, Add Turn Lane and replace the bridges. In essence, they’re widening the street to make it even easier for motorists to go even faster than they currently drive. The GDOT job number is PI # 752900. According to the info I found, expected completion date is 2008. So you can expect the mess to be cleaned up by sometime in 2019.
I certainly hope you are not suggesting that the GDOT, a wonderful government entity, is not very efficient?!!
Oh dear, and I was hoping they were doing wider sidewalks (easiser for joggers or strollers), or maybe even a proper cycle path…… I never considered a wider road!!!!
Well, on the plus side, maybe it will make that traffic light on the corner of Candler & Brower relevant. I can’t tell you how much I hate that light. There is not a car on Brower 98% of the time when the light turns red on Candler. I catch that light almost without fail; for no reason at all. Furthermore, a stop sign would work just fine there as it does on every other street off of Candler.
If that light is not cycling correctly, call DeKalb Traffic Engineering – they are responsible for traffic signals in the City.
If it weren’t for that light I would never be able to safely cross Candler on foot. I wish the light turned red more frequently and stayed red longer. For residents of that section of S. Candler Street, that red light offers a chance for them to back out of their driveways.
It’s impossible for it to turn red more frequently.
I have to turn left off of Brower every morning and almost everyday I see people on Candler running the red light. It’s an extremely dangerous intersection. I am very close to calling the police department and asking them to observe it for a few days.
Before construction began, the light was triggered by traffic on Brower. Now it is timed. The prior set-up was a lot safer and more convenient. As for taking that left onto Candler, always make sure you wait for cars to come to a complete stop.
Oh yes, the almighty auto wins once again. Years ago, probably 2005, I attended a public information session on this project at the high school. The session itself was a waste of taxpayer money. It was absolutely Orwellian. At least 15 people on the GDOT payroll were standing beside fancy renderings on easels. I wanted to do was make a recorded statement that widening the street was wholly unnecessary. Street infrastructure improvements were needed. The rickety wooden bridge on the east side of the road was reminiscent of a pasture. Proper storm drainage measures, etc were all needed But why widen the street?
Well, sir, many accidents have occurred because of the lack of a left hand turn lane onto Midway. i asserted if there were wrecks it was a result of excessive speed not because of the lack of a turn lane. I asked them to show me that data that supports the assertion of wrecks. Well, sir, we don’t have that information with us.
What kind of traffic calming measures can we employ instead? Stop signs, those planters that jut out, something? Well, sir, it’s a state road. 155. It’s against policy to put calm traffic on major highways. Your GDOT map may show it as a road, but according to the people that live around there it’s a street. A city street where children walk to school alongside cars traveling at highway speeds. Well, sir, enforcement of the speed limit is a city responsibility. Huh? So it’s the city’s fault that people go too fast? The GDOT is making it easier for them to go faster. Well, sir, I suggest you speak with local law authorities and request more enforcement of registered speed limits.
To this day, I still can’t wrap my head around the project cost, 2,649,000 dollars. That’s a lot of coin for a installing a storm drain and a new bridge.
Don’[t get me started on the absolute mess they’ve made of yards and the road! What a boondoggle. And most of the time, I drive by, and there’s guys with hardhats looking into the creek … at first I thought they were repairing damage from the 2009 floods, but then realized they are on the permanent payroll, and our “Stimulus” dollars are at work …ha ha ha.
Again, that’s a 2,649,000 dollar pay roll.
Cell Phone Service and Pediatrician
Happy Friday to you! True to my name, I’m new in town. My spouse and I really value and appreciate the recommendations we have received for goods and services from folks in the know on this blog. Thanks so much!
I need to dip into the well again this morning. We need a pediatrician for my child and new cell phones.
– For the pediatrician, I’m looking for an excellent group of doctors (duh) with a friendly accommodating staff and an office with same or next day sick appointments. In particular, I would welcome feedback on Piedmont Pediatrics.
– For the cell phones, I just can’t stomach paying $100/month for voice, texting, and data so iPhones and Droids are out for us. Has anyone used Straight Talk? Clark Howard says that they’re a “Tier 2″ provider that offers an unlimited calling/texting/web plan for $45/month on the Verizon network. That sounds good to me. But if you’ve actually used their service, I’d love to know what your experience with dropped calls or web access has been.
Again, thanks so much!
Happy to recommend Dekalb Pediatrics on Winn Way. We’ve always had great service from all the docs and we’ve always gotten same-day sick appointments. They’ve made some challenging diagnoses for us as well. It’s also close with no traffic delays from Decatur.
Ditto on Dekalb Pediatrics. Great doctors and staff. And Lesley (who is somewhere between an RN and a Dr – can’t recall what that’s called) is fantastic.
She’s a PA. There is a doctor around there that’s an acquired taste, but most of them are great!
Nicely put, NB. That one doctor, while wholly capable, is indeed an acquired taste. Whenever we get her it feels like those old Sesame Street segments, “Which of these doctors is not like the other ones…”
Another reco for Dekalb Pediatrics.
Leslie is a nurse practitioner. She’s wonderful also.
Another vote for Dekalb Pediatrics. We have used them for 15 years and have seen the practise grow from two doctors to now the 7 or 8 (?) currently there. There are a couple of the new young doctors we are very fond of. They’re fresh and bright and in touch with the latest research and treatments. They have been great for routine sick and well care along with some difficult diagnosis and long term care for a very ill young teen. If only I could find a practise I like as much for my own care!
Have been taking my 4 children to Dekalb Pediatrics for 15 years and also recommend them. Dr. Debby Pollack is superb and literally may have saved my son’s life with her careful attention and super-early diagnosis of pertussis when he was 5 weeks old. Even CHOA docs were surprised she caught it so early and sent us directly to the ER. All the docs are women and they take same-day sick appts and are right here in Decatur! And some are Decatur residents!
Dr. Debbie Pollack with DeKalb Pediatrics. Love that group, and Dr. Debbie is a Decatur city resident too!
Another satisfied DeKalb Pediatrics mom, with two teenagers. Dr. Jane Wilkov is my favorite, and I think she started the practice.
I am not so enamored with Dekalb Pediatrics. I felt there were too many doctors and not enough consistency. The entire family now go to Dr. Najjar’s family practice at Dekalb Medical.
You may also want to inquire about customer service. There are some other low cost cell providers that look attractive until you look at the comments about customer service.
And look into the AT&T bundles- we have a really good package and if I was willing to give up Bravo, Showtime or HBO, I could get it even cheaper. We have the top tier cable w/DVR, home phone with unlimited long distance and a nickle a minute international package,second tier internet, and cell phones w/ iPhone unlimited data and another line for less than $300/month.
Nellie loves Dexter.
Yes, I do!
We have been using Piedmont Pediatrics for our two girls for almost 5 years. I cannot recommend them enough. They are great getting you in same-day. Our primary doctor, Dr. Koenig, is so wonderful, but we’ve seen most of them and love them all. They have worked with us through some really unpleasant conditions (including surgery for our 6 week old) and your usual everyday stuff as well. My older daughter actually loves going there.
My only complaint is that the office doesn’t open until 9 for appointment-scheduling. That’s late to me when I’m trying to plan my day around an appointment. (They will see you before 8, but they don’t answer the phones til 9.) And on Monday mornings at 9 that phone can be busy for ages.
We love, love, love Children’s Medical Group at I-85 and Clairemont. We’ve had three top-notch wonderful doctors in a row there, one of whom moved to the Duluth satellite, one died, and now we have the wonderful Dr. Jennifer Shu who is reknowned for the books and magazine articles she’s published and yet is down-to-earth, friendly, and helpful as well as skilled. This group is known for its high clinical standards, office efficiency, Saturday morning hours for sick kids, and toy ceiling train that mesmerizes the under 6 crowd. There’s several physicians and nurse practitioners so if you don’t like one, you can easily switch to another.
DeKalb Pediatrics also has a good rep and I believe one practitioner is a CSD Mom. We had one bad experience there years and years ago, so long ago that it’s no longer relevant.
Also, CMG starts answering their phones at 7:30 AM to make appointments so one can call at 7:30 AM and have an appointment as early as 8:15 AM.
We also recommend CMG. They also have an in-house lab, so no schlepping over to Children’s Hospital or waiting on results. They have gotten us in on holidays, and the nurses are really great about answering phone questions. They also keep (I believe) 30% of their schedule open for same-day appointments.
Ditto Children’s Medical Group. All the doctors we’ve encountered are really great, but Calk is our primary and is absolutely the best.
Regarding Elizabeth Shu, we found and utilized one of her best-selling newborn books through Amazon before we even realized that she worked at CMG!
I’ll add my voice to the list of satisfied patients at Children Medical Group. We’ve been with the practice for almost 20 years. (yikes – how can it be that long ?) .
We’ve seen most of the different practitioners . Never had a problem with anyone. Over the years, we’ve changed medical insurance a couple of times and CMG accepted every one of our plans.
Dr Hutson is our primary doc and we think the world of him. My daughter reached a point where she wanted a female doctor and switched to nurse practitioner Marietta Slemp . Marietta is wonderful,too. She interacts with teens in a way that puts then at ease – no talking down as if they are toddlers.
http://clarkhoward.com
Great website and message boards. Also LOVE the weekly travel deals that are posted
We’ve been really happy with Children’s Medical Group on Clairmont at 85. It’s about 20 min away. It’s a big group, but a nice facility and all the doctors and nurse practitioners are wonderful.
We were at Childrens Medical Group at Clarimont and 85. Great practice. If I remember correctly, they are also open on Saturday mornings. We have been with Piedmont Pediatrics for a few years now and love them. We changed for convenience, not competence. You’ll see that the longer you live in Decatur, the less you’ll want to travel outside of Decatur for anything.
For cell phones, we’ve been with Verizon for a long, long time. It always works, wherever I am, and doesn’t drop calls. Same can’t be said for AT&T. And I’ll be the first in line to get an iPhone when it comes to Verizon!
I know people who have been very pleased with Metro PCS. Give them a look.
I take my son to Children’s Medical Group up on Century off of Clairemont, near I-85 (behind the Marriott). We always get a sick appt the same day and they have a great group of doctors. We usually see Dr. Meeks and love her! They are also open on weekends.
Big ups to Children’s Medical Group.
Piedmont Pediatrics is excellent. Many of my friends use them. We decided not to use them as I wanted a pediatrician closer to home. We are using Children’s Medical Group and have been happy with them. They are on Clairmont just on the other side of 85.
Y’all are awesome! Thanks so much!
I also gotta go with Dekalb Pediatrics. Lesley is awesome and really, all the doctors are caring and deal very graciously if you have a lot of questions.
Anyone have any idea what is going on in the East Lake Marta station parking lot (on the Dekalb/Howard Ave side)? Every day this week when I arrive there, the backside of the lot has been filled with about 20 semi trucks, large campers, etc. My thought is maybe it’s overflow for the filming of the Fast and the Furious 23 (there’s 22 already, right?).
Probably related to filming at a residence on McClendon…between the traffic circle and Candler Park. Not much gear has been parked street-side.
Did I miss anything posted about the Jimmy Johns? I have been away for 3 weeks (the same answer you get whenever I ask when the Diner is opening) but I thought J.J. was opening in the Tastings location. There is still a for lease sign in the window,
That’s exactly what we were wondering when we were at Garlic last night…I’ll second the question: does anyone know what’s going on?
Survey: raise your hand if you got a bonus from your employer this year. A salary increase?
No? Did you know that the City of Decatur proposed at the City commission meeting on 10/4 that the FY2010-2011 budget be increased by $200k to provide additional one-time one week pay compensation for City staff? This is in addition to the one-time one week pay bonus that is already part of the approved budget.
Interestingly, this proposal was coupled with a resolution for a tax credit for homeowners with at homestead exemption. That’s great news!! Especially in times when other cities are faced with choices between raising taxes and cutting services. We all get $70 (average). Wait, but City employees get a week’s pay? That’s 10 to 30 times (depending on one’s salary) what we get. (Reference city website, city commission meetings, agendas and minutes 10/4.)
Everyone OK with that? The proposal will be voted on Nov 1. Let all the commissioners know.
There is a whole thread on this that presents several sides to this issue and includes comments from a city commisioner
nelliebelle
where do I find thread on this that presents several sides to this issue and includes comments from a city commisioner
I’m not Nelliebelle, zed, but here you go:
http://www.decaturmetro.com/2010/10/05/decatur-commission-passes-tax-credit-but-tables-staff-bonus/
If the link doesn’t work, scroll back to about Oct 5.
Thank you, Parker. That was rude of me! I should have linked to that.
invincible, inform yourself ! There is a lot of info on here and on the City website about that issue and I daresay that most of the followers of this blog are up to date on the subject. Plus, the one-time payment (it’s not really a “bonus”) would be given to City employees who haven’t had a real raise in two years. The Commissioners have been and continue to be good stewards of our (I assume you are a City resident) tax dollars, IMHO. As you point out, other governments have cut services, but none of that has happened in Decatur. And, I hope you have voted in all the City elections for which you were eligible.
This seems like a good spot to ask for a reminder on the time and place to speak on this issue?
(I know I can look it up…)
…Planning to come with several reasons why I think City Staff deserve the additional compensation.
Go to the City Commission meeting on Nov 1. There is a place on the agenda for citizens to speak about things that will be voted on.
I’m sorry, I had to stop reading the metro at work because internet explorer started crashing everytime I did, so I didn’t see the posts on Oct 5. I didn’t mean to inconvenience anyone by bringing up a topic you’ve all thoroughly discussed and put to bed.
And yes, I vote. And I go to the City Commission meetings where I see very few other citizens. And I read the budget.
I think the City employees do a great job and don’t have any problem with them being compensated for doing so. I just don’t think it is particularly equitable for the taxpayers to receive $70 and the employees to receive 10 or 30 times that. That’s certainly not how it works when I save our clients money at my job.
FYI…I’m working on fixing these issues with IE7. Will let people know once there’s resolution.
Curious as to what you would prefer that they receive (if anything) that would be equitable in your opinion?
Are comments REALLY closed on this thread?
I got a nice raise and a huge bonus last year. Not sure why you care.
As for the city employees – every year they can find ways to reduce expenses, I’m fine with giving them a cut of the savings. I believe in incentives. They work for me – see the large bonus.
So, TeeRuss, you married??
I can handle them getting bonuses. The city seems to be managed well. And I got a nice raise and a bonus too.
Hey, where are all these jobs with raises and bonuses?!!!
Yeah, I’ll settle for a job with a steady salary. Raises and bonuses are just pipe dreams to me right now.
It’s October so it’s Open Enrollment time at work. Anyone using the Decatur Kaiser Permanente clinic? How is it and how are the pediatric services?