5th Avenue, Decatur GA (pic courtesy of Scott)

Instead of my usual long-winded look back over the previous year, I thought it might be a bit more telling to look back at the most popular posts of the year.  I went with “10″ because after that, the next 20 or so are mostly FFAFs and repeats of the topics listed below.

So without further ado here they are; an odd mixture of controversy, tragedy and restaurant happenings.

1.  Dollar General Coming to Oakhurst?

2.  5 Year-Old Found Dead in Oakhurst

3.  Progress at Decatur Diner

4.  Shooting at Pin-Ups

5.  Mac Magee Now Open on Decatur Square

6.  Stop-Work Order Delays Decatur Diner Opening

7.  Cakes & Ale To Renovate Three Retail Spots By Decatur MARTA Entry

8.  Farmstead 303 Opens in Decatur Depot; Menu Online

9.  Taste of Decatur Not so Tasty

10.  “Horrific” Hit & Run in Emory Village This Morning

If Decatur still had possession of THIS fire truck, I’m pretty confident that the city’s “Touch a Truck Day” would no longer be dominated by kids.  Car and history buffs would stand in long lines, wide-eyed, jumping in place, giggling, waiting for their chance to sit in this beauty, making all the relevant fire truck noises with their mouths.

But seriously, even if you’re not into historic vehicles, the photo is worth a look.  (I can’t post it here because like most state-owned photos, I’d have to fill out a form and make payment to display it here.)  Three Decatur Fire Fighters (circa 1914) pose in the photograph along McDonough Street in the city’s brand-new, $8,000 fire truck.  According to a note attached to the photo, it was the city’s first truck after the fire department’s establishment the same year.

The Old Courthouse’s tower is also viewable in the picture, along with a “hardware store” and Turner Funeral Home.

P.S.  Next Stop’s got another nice pic of East Courthouse Square up on his site, featuring what is now the Lenz Building prior to its “modern” facade transformation.  To get your bearings, the Brick Store Pub building is currently at the far left-side of the photo.

Feel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local issues not discussed here over the past week.

Comments close Monday.