Free-For-All Friday 1/7/10
Decatur Metro | January 7, 2011Feel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local and/or community issues not discussed here in the past week.
Comments close on Monday.
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Latest from Decaturish
Anyone know what the deal is with the presumed security guard parked outside the empty dealerships on Scott? Every time I drive by there at night, theres someone sitting in an idling car outside the entrance barriers, even on Christmas Eve.. but it doesn’t look like there’s anything of great value, just a huge empty parking lot and building.
I drove past the former JD Ryder location yesterday and its lot was about 1/3 full of cars, with a car carrier parked in the middle of Scott Blvd. delivering more.
Has anyone got any good suggestions for places to buy living room furtiture. In terms of style, I’d go for a Pottery Barn / Restoration Hardware kind of look (so not modern).
I often shop on the web, but furnitrure is something I prefer to see and touch before buying.
I have a very experienced designer friend who can actually help you purchase the styles you like in better quality, customized to your colors/fabrics for less money than retail stores like PB.
Sensations Custom Interiors – Eileen Snell
Business is on Facebook.
http://es-es.facebook.com/pages/Sensations-Custom-Interiors/104109776310616
We’ve had very good experiences buying furniture from Ballard Designs (http://www.ballarddesigns.com/). They also have a wonderful warehouse right off 400 in Roswell (and a smaller one on the west side) called Ballard’s Backroom, where they sell their overstock and very lightly damaged furniture for huge discounts. Definitely worth checking out.
We like Ballards and have been impressed with their case goods. We just bought a couch, chair and rug from Haverty’s and were beyond impressed with their customer service. We also like the PB/Restoration Hardware look, but wanted better quality than PB and cheaper prices than RH. Good luck – I hate furniture shopping.
I second the service from Haverty’s. We bought a bed there and the delivery/assembly crew that came out were exceptional. Of course, the bar I was using to measure the experience was the monosyllabic Neanderthals that previously delivered my Ikea couch but still, in terms of price, quality and service, Haverty’s was a very pleasant surprise.
We got nightstands for one of our guest bedrooms from Ballard’s– they were inexpensive, but don’t look it! Also bought a TV stand for our office from there, and it too was very reasonably priced (it’s the shipping that gets ya).
FurnitureLand South: we went a few months ago and were blown away by the size and selection. It’s up near Greensboro, NC. Worth the drive!
I second the Furnitureland South recommendation. Their prices can’t be beat, and you can spend days going through their Showrooms.
I work for Ballard Designs. We have some great furniture – not super modern looking and great prices. http://www.Ballarddesigns.com. We have 2 Atlanta stores. 1670 DeFoor Ave
Atlanta, GA 30318 and 1475 Holcomb Bridge Road Roswell, GA 30076
You may already know this, but there are PB and RH outlets in Dawsonville. The PB outlet typically has lots of furniture. If you go to the outlet mall’s website, you can get a free coupon book that sometimes has a coupon for an extra 10% off. Call the store before you go to see what deals they are running and what they have. Sometimes they’ll run an extra percentage off furniture. You need a big vehicle to get your loot home, but I’ve had very good results. Once bought a table for 19 bucks.
Try Roost in Avondale Estates. The owner’s aesthetic sounds very much like what you’re looking for. Great prices. It’s tucked away across from Urban Grounds and next to Ray’s Originals.
If you don’t mind taking a second mortgage on your home, Room & Board has some beautiful furniture.
You might try The Dump in Buckhead. I have not shopped there but have heard good things about it from friends that have.
Don’t forget Ikea!
Many thanks to everyone for the suggestions…. Glad you all knew what I was talking about, as seems my fingers had issues with the word furniture…….
I did swing by The Dump yesterday. I was pretty excited (as much as furniture shopping permits) when I went through the door and saw how big the place was, but turned out to be nothing to my taste in the whole place – good suggestion though!
I got a great sideboard from Ballard a while back, but haven’t had so much luck with living room stuff.
Furnitureland South sounds a good plan. I knew N Carolina was a big furniture area, but didn’t know of a specific store(?) to visit.
BTW, IKEA is too modern for what I want, but out of interest, the two sofas I’m replacing were purchased from IKEA in Croydon (UK) 15 years ago, and are still going strong.
You could also try World Market-Cost Plus. They don’t have many sets but they have do have nice individual pieces – less modern than IKEA but similar prices (they often have sales). Most of it you have to put together and you can usually do it better the floor items in the stores. You can check their website to see if the items are to your taste.
Speaking of security guards, I’ve been seeing one “roaming” the grounds of the Decatur/DeKalb YMCA?
Based on some 1st hand accounts of some the shenanigans that go on over there, I’d say they need more than one.
What sort of shenanigans are occurring at the YMCA? I live in the vicinity.
i think people were getting their cars broken into in and around the ymca parking lot
That’s been going on as long as most people remember.
Sadly, yes. It’s not a good idea to leave anything of value in your car while parked at the YMCA. Have had some breakins in the neighborhoods as well.
It’s not a good idea to leave anything of value in plain site in your car ever. At the Y, at Publix, parked in front of your house. Just put it in the trunck or take it with you. I have friends that get so upset because someone broke into their car and stole their laptop – well, if you leave it sitting in the back seat for someone to see, don’t be surprised to have your car broken into. Another friend always leaves her purse on the floor board of her car – but claims “there is nothing in it” as she keeps her wallet with her. Well, a thief does not know that, they just see the purse.
Sorry – this is one of my pet peeves. Just hide your things if you must leave them in the car.
Toteally agree with you there, Nubbsie– theft from vehicles is almost always an opportunistic crime, meaning the thief is usually looking for whatever’s there so s/he can make a quick grab. While the onus shouldn’t be on the vehicle owner to keep his/her valuables out of sight (a car should be as sacrosanct as one’s home), the reality is sadly different. I personally favor the RoboCop variety of anti-car-theft devices (anyone who’s seen RC II will know what I’m talking about– and yes, I’m only halfway serious).
Did the picture of the knee replacement lady in the Dekalb Medical advert change? Either it’s different, or I’ve become accustomed to the grimace.
It’s still off, though seems a little better. Not sure why they don’t just build the ad to spec. Also, why not a picture of the beloved knee instead? Hmm….
It is waaaaaay better. Instead of using what appeared to be a blurry capture from a video of Rebecca mid-sentence, they’ve relplaced it with a sharp picture of her smiling. If I needed a new knee, I would be going to DeKalb Medical, because now I truly believe she loves hers.
I feel bad for the sanitation workers who had Monday off as a holiday but then just have to work harder during the week to catch up on trash pick-up. Not much of a holiday! I would give up my trash and recycling pick-up for a week to let them have a real day off.
I wonder if in addition to holiday pay the workers can earn overtime during the 4 day week. That most likely is very appealing to them. A nice gester from the citizens like you suggest actually may not be in their best interest.
Got a question…How is it that within our city limits we can have a major fast food chain that provides absolutely the worst service of any restaurant (and I use the term loosely) I’ve ever experienced? I hadn’t visited this particular establishment in over a year and decided to try it again (due to the begging from my teenage child). I was not disappointed. The service was perhaps worse than I remembered. And my previous experience included the fact that they were out of french fries. How this happens, I cannot say. How can this business continue to thrive in our city?
“How can this business continue to thrive in our city?”
If folks did not patronize it, it would not “thrive”. The answer is simple.
They were out of straws and ketchup the other day
Out of straws? That probably sucked.
Re. “out of french fries”:
Several years ago a friend and I went to dine one Saturday morning at the Original Pancake House near Cheshire Bridge Road. After waiting 30 minutes for a table, we were seated and given their pancake-focused menu. But when the server arrived and we tried to order pancakes, we were informed they had run out! No pancakes-at the Original Pancake House! How in the world does that happen?
Shook my faith in orderly society for quite some time.
Two words: dollar menu. You get what you (don’t ) pay for.
Well there’s more than 1 fast food chain in the city, but I assume you’re talking about Chik-fil-a? Why not just name the business you’re referring to?
Chick -fil-a doesn’t have french fries so I’m sure it’s McDonalds. The only Mickey D’s I’ve ever been to that has a broken shake machine about 50% of the times I go there. Which is maybe twice a yr.
Yes, it’s gotta be McD’s–CFA has the best customer service ever and they are such a great asset to our community. OTOH, in my nearly 20 years living in Decatur I’ve never been to McD’s nor do I ever plan to go!
Agreed – everyone is unfailingly friendly there. And their chicken salad sandwiches are the bomb!
I work near the McDonald’s and I see a lot of foot traffic there around lunchtime. I think a lot of downtown workers, who aren’t the type to have their lunch at the Brick Store, walk over there for a cheap lunch.
Agree that CFA has great service and contributes locally to Decatur. That said, I’ve been reading many recent reports that they partner with anti-gay groups. Some people may not care, but I find it disconcerting.
http://gayrights.change.org/blog/view/chick-fil-a_partners_with_rabid_anti-gay_group
Not a surprise given their heavily Southern Baptist leanings. They do ask where you go to church when you are interviewed for a job there.
In the FWIW department, CFA responded to this particular issue/ on their FB page; apparently, one independent operator in PA is providing sandwiches to the seminars, but the company itself is not a corporate sponsor. Granted, the response was messaged for their corporate communications department, but the issue doesn’t seem to be as big as it was blown up to be. I can’t speak about any other issues, though.
That thing with the shake machine is just weird! I remember going through there (a bit too often) back in the post 9-11 months when I had an odd work schedule. Shake machine always down.
Didn’t visit for a while, but went back a few times in during 2005/2006 and sure enough: “Our shake machine is down”. (more than once). Strange enough that I remember it.
– just gave me reason to head over to DQ, which is way better, IMHO.
I once went on a road trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We decided we wanted some shakes from McDonalds, so we hit a drive-thru on our way out of Atlanta. The machine was broken. Oh well, it happens. So we went to another McDonalds just up the street and their shake machine was broken as well. Now it became a mission. I am not kidding – the McDonalds all up the eastern seaboard as far as North Carolina had broken shake machines! It seemed like a conspiracy, though I could never figure out the angle.
I worked at one of these places as a teenager, and on days when we were shorthanded the shake machine simply didn’t get put together (it has to be broken down and washed at night and reassembled in the morning.) And even more common was breaking down the machine well before closing time so there was less to do after close. “The shake machine is broken” is just a standard response that may or may not be true.
My very first job was working at McDonald’s, and I worked there on and off through college at several different restaurants. Brianc is right about having to disassemble and wash the shake machine at closing, but even when that’s done on a regular basis, the machines still break frequently.
As for the customer service at the Decatur McDonald’s, I’ve just found it to be very uneven. The service was excellent the first time I went there; it’s never been that good since, but I haven’t had any particularly bad experiences with their service. The bigger issue for me has been the quality of their food and the cleanliness of the restaurant. I can tell sometimes that the meat has been kept in the heating cabinets for too long or that the fries have been left out. I’ve also never seen anyone cleaning the lobby there.
I think one of the biggest difference in customer service at Chick-fil-a versus McDonald’s is that Chick-fil-a usually has a ton of staff on duty; McDonald’s not so much.
Oooh, man– why would anyone go to McD’s or DQ when Chik-Fil-A’s shakes are sooooo delicious?? Their strawberry shake makes me swoon!
Agree with CSD Mom — I’ve always been very impressed with CFA service.
I have been observing my own boycott of that McDonalds for some time now. The service there is beyond awful!
I’ve been boycotting ALL McDonalds since they came out with the McSalad shaker.
You got it. It is definitely NOT CFA. They are a huge benefit to our city and are always willing to donate food items for the schools. I am just dumb-founded at how McD’s can still be in business with service like that and why they would let that store operate the way it does. The one on N. Decatur and Clairemont isn’t like that.
Here’s a big, smiling endorsement of Atlanta Cell Phone Repair. Took my smart phone several months ago because the cable port had gotten messed up — would charge in the house but not in the car, and would not sync with PC. They fixed it and charged me nothing, and were as cordial as could be to me and every other customer I saw. Took it in again this week with the same problem, it had gotten slung across the car when I had to slam on brakes while it was plugged in — and they fixed it and still charged nothing because they considered it still under warranty from the previous repair (for which they had charged nothing). While waiting, I had the opportunity to observe other customers and transactions, and it seems they offer all kinds of repairs as well as sell rebuilt and reconditioned phones, and various accessories. They seem to do most repairs while you wait or at least on the same day, adn they were charging people what seemed to me very reasonable fees.
They are in the Northlake area, in a small storefront in the same shopping center as Best Buy and Lucky Key.
I love the fact they exist, offering cell phone users some measure of resistance to the planned-obsolescence business model on which manufacturers depend. And I love the way they’re operating it, based on friendly service and genuine value for the price.
I absolutely agree with your endorsement. They are excellent!
Agree with your endorsement–had a great experience with them just a few months ago. very reasonably priced and customer service was down-to-earth and absolutely super.
Anyone out there know where I might be able to have an old formica table from the early 60’s re-legged? The metal legs that are on it right now are kinda flimsy, and I love the table so much (been in the family forever), that I’d be happy to spend a little cash on giving it some proper legs (maybe chrome to match the legs on the chairs I had to buy for it).
I figured someone reading this might have a lead. Thanks!
You can buy chrome legs at Ikea and attach them yourself (just screw in). Or just google table legs- there are a number of online sources for these.
Yeah, I know I can easily find some legs, but the actual underside surface of the table needs a little bit of priming and semi-professional care. I think it’s beyond my scope as a lady with a cordless screwdriver and poor vision
When I was considering reupholstering a vintage chair I called the fine folks at Victory Vintage (used to be near Trackside but I believe is now located at Kudzu Antiques Mall. They probably can make a recommendation.
I’ve been following (via Twitter and FB) the various street food vendors in Atlanta for some time now. I’m wondering why we don’t see them more often in the CoD?
Does the city have an ordinance against/severely limiting these guys or is there just not enough demand for them to make us one of their regular venues?
Anyone have any insight?
I’ve wondered this myself. I’ve often thought someone with a cart and quick and cheap fare would do well at several points downtown.
Ignatious J. Reilly!
loved that confederacy of dunces reference!! ignatius would add some real color to downtown!!!
John Kennedy Toole just turned over in his grave..In pure expeditiousness…
I’m trying to find the FFAF thread a couple weeks (months?) ago where there were dentist recommenations. DM, how do I search within your archives? I entered “dentist” in the search toolbar, but didn’t come up with anything…
Here is one. http://www.decaturmetro.com/2010/05/07/free-for-all-friday-5710. And there was another on September 10th.
(I saved them because I was one of the people looking for a dentist.)
Not sure where that thread is, but Dr. Kevin Magid on Church St. is worth checking out if you like prompt, professional service.
Thanks, STB Neighbor and mercopa!
Yeah KC, the search function doesn’t look at comments currently. I believe there are ways to include them, but it’s more than just flicking a switch. It’s definitely on my “to do” list.
Got it!
Thanks for being such a great resource to us all.
As a short-term fix, I recommend using a site-specific Google search for things like this (for example, Google search these terms together: friday dentist site:www.decaturmetro.com). I’ve noticed that lots of blogs and websites have complications with the search function, so it must be a pretty tricky issue to deal with.
Elise Ashpole up near N. Druid Hills and Clairmont. Been going there for years. Love, love, love this dentist, and I know a lot of other people do, too.
Same for us – we’ve had a great experience with Drs.
Ashpole and Katz at this office, both for the adults and kiddos in
the family.
Dr. Mark Hastings is awesome. We went to him after a bad experience at Nanston. Please, don’t go to Nanston.
Hmm. I really like Nanston. Have never had a problem with them.
Dr. Marvin Winter in Decatur is beloved by his patients.
I heard on NPR this am about a German tech company that is moving to Alpharetta because of the city’s access to broadband, etc. This seems like the kind of thing that Decatur should strive to attract. Does anyone know if the city is trying to attract these kinds of businesses?
No, because these companies won’t hire beer-drinking zombies, which this city seems to be full of. I know this because I read Decatur Metro.
Nevermind, found it!
Do you happen to remember the name of the company?
ThyssenKrupp, whose primary business is elevators and escalators. It’s their IT department that is moving here, not the headquarters. About 100, albeit probably pretty high-paying, jobs.
Hello beautiful people. Happy Friday to you. I am seeking recommendations for a child care center in or around Decatur for my two year old. We are looking for a full time, NAEYC-accredited center. What would you recommend? And where should we steer clear of? Thanks in advance – I really appreciate it!
Suburban Nursery and Pre-K on Sycamore. Joanna Tatum has owned it since the early 60’s and she and her daughter Connie are excellent.
Phoenix school.
there is childcare partially subsidized by your (soon to be) tax dollars at College Heights Early Childhood Learning Center. Get on the list! Other nearby reputable daycares include Frazier center in Lake Claire, and Decatur Montessori.
http://decal.ga.gov/ProviderSearch/SiteSearch.aspx
During your search, I recommend using the above link. It allows users to search for childcare facilities licensed by the state of GA. Clicking on the centers name will allow user access to the inspection/licensing reports. This helped us rule out some of the childcare facilities due to unacceptable/unsafe conditions when we were looking a few years ago. What’s interesting about the inspections is that they’re scheduled – not surprises. How some of these facilities can fail to the extent they do when they KNOW the date of the inspection is baffling.
Sorry to be so chatty today, but I’ve been wondering…where is Naaman Gibbets? Haven’t seen him post here in a while. I miss his humorous non sequiturs.
He can’t type anymore because the leprosy got to his fingers.
tanks sking,, judt geting used 2 typ w/ mny fweet. chyears1
Can someone come to my house and explain my Renfroe 6th graders IB report card? We’re getting close to cracking the code, but a support group would be helpful.
I’ll join your support group. It’s gotten to where we can’t have a discussion with our child about grades–we don’t know what to tell her to strive for, we don’t know how to encourage her or express disapproval…and she doesn’t know either. I find it ridiculous. The IB plague is causing all sorts of unhappiness in my house…we are not realizing any benefits that would justify the cost of it! The so-called Middle Years Programme is a disaster right now.
Here is the answer, arrange for a teacher conference early and often… whenever you are confused. This serves two purposes. First, and most importantly, you can hear from the teacher first hand how your child is doing. If the teacher does not know how your child is doing… you can move on up the line until someone can either tell you or train the teachers so they can explain it better.
Second, as an added bonus, teachers will tire quickly of having to endure dozens of parent conferences six times a year about the IB grading system. Parent complaints on this system may fall on deaf ears in the central office to some extent. However, if the teachers are miserable and have to spend hours and hours in conferences, the grading system will be improved soon. CSD has always been very concerned about teacher morale, and rightly so. They have some amazing teachers.
I know of two IB schools who issue IB grades along with a letter grade conversion. Seems that Renfroe could do the same thing. There is no reason to confuse parents and students when it is beneficial to everyone to clearly understand how students are doing.
IB grading will be really fun when it hits the high school, and number based GPAs are critical for HOPE scholarships and college admissions.
Again, my purpose is not to bother teachers but to know how to help my kid. Currently, I have no clue whatsoever… nor does she. She’s not even allowed to bring home the work she did, so we can’t review it with an eye to improvement.
Thanks Mr. Fixit,
The only reason why we are close to “breaking the code” is our two meetings already held with the teachers on this issue, etc. plus attendance at a couple of parent grading system tutorials held by Renfroe. I would pretty much say we’re still in the dark. Thanks for the grade comparison. I hope it’s not entirely correct or my kid might need to be grounded. But really, who knows! I think the kids are kind of loving this.
Another thing to know is the the folks over in Switzerland that will one day be giving your child your grades and determining their college fate do not give credit for anything that they grade as under a 4. So if you kid is not breaking a 4 they wouldn’t be getting IB credit for the course if they were in high school.
Hmmmm…. I just did some online research and found this conversion. Somewhat helpful.. but still confusing. Here goes… 7=A+, 6=A or A-, 5=B+, B or B-, 4=C+, C or C-, 3 = D+, D or D- and 1or2 = F.
Hope that helps. Not sure it’s reliable.. it’s from another school. However I’ll go with it personally until I hear something different from CSD.
thanks for that–my husband and i were disagreeing about whether or not a 5 was a B+ or a C. From the description it looked more like a B+ to me. good news!
I gave up awhile ago, and I’m a teacher. There isn’t anything really to see on Infinite Campus when the class used the IB scale, so for some classes all you ever see is this one number every 6 weeks. My son’s math teacher sometimes sends graded tests home for signature, which is helpful because then I can see where his strengths, or lack of, are.
As we were walking the kids to school the other day, one of my neighbors wondered where the Decatur High School students hang out on the weekends. When I was in HS, it was Northlake Mall, Lenox Mall or cruising Northlake Tower Festival and going to Steve’s (Gorin’s) for ice cream (before we started going to frat parties at Emory and Tech).
Anybody know?
I hope my 10th grader is at his friends home, like he said.
Re IB report card: Have been to several trainings, updates, etc. and have decided that it’s unknowable. It varies by school, training session, and sometimes teacher. The biggest problem seems to be that the software for assessments isunwieldy
I have two graduate degrees from Emory University and I have that same trouble understanding the written material that comes home from the school administrations for years. How do those less educated cope with this?
Is it possible the less educated doesn’t (over) analyze, taking things literally and therefore with less stress? Just sayin’
Yes, Sharron, that is probably the case and I think it’s unfair to them and particularly their kids. BTW, I understand your sarcasm.
So confession is I’m a retired teacher and grades just need to be old-fashion clear so folks can relate and understand. All the fiddlin’ around with E, S, N, U instead of F and 90 is an A or 92 is an A, or now 7, 6, 5, … etc. is just busy work for the “committees.” Just give me the number in percents so I can compare day to day, week to week, year to year. No matter what the system the assessment on the teachers end is the same. Simply put … line ‘em up from top to bottom.
Yep, and I’m sporting a law degree so you’d think I could figure it out. Of course, in law school, I knew how I was doing.. which helped me adjust my work patterns as needed … and that sure did make it easier to get that degree. Guess that stuff is a a thing of the past.
I don’t have a clue what IB is. It sounds like a solution to a problem that didn’t exist.
Bingo… when an organization is bloated at the top… the top do all sorts of things to justify their existence so you end up with all these “initiatives” that end up costing the organization money but create job security for management. They usually do not generate results (that wouldn’t have happened anyway), but they create a bunch of work for folks and a pretty resume for some member of upper level management.
Been around the block a dozen times in my career and now around here in Decatur.
My guess is that our fantastic teachers would like to just be able to shut their doors and teach for a change. All these “initiatives” get in the way of teaching. A frustrated friend of mine who teaches (or tries to teach) in CSD has said something like, “I just want them to shut up and leave me alone so I can teach. That’s what I’m trained to do. If I could spend half the time that it takes for me to deal inane reports, trainings, meetings and assessments and spend it on lesson planning and one-on-one time with students, all of my kids would be superstars.”
If I had the expertise and the money, I’d start a private school or perhaps a charter school and advertise to prospective faculty and students that we have no bells and whistles, no labels, no initiatives. Children come here to learn and amazing teachers come here to teach. Administrators just do their best to stay out of their way and make sure the copiers are running.
Well said. As a former teacher, I wholeheartedly agree.
Sounds good to me. Does your mythical school have a wait list yet?
The IB curriculum is hardly an “initiative” based on some latest fad. Rather it is a curriculum based on European formats that have been very successful. I am very happy that CSD is working to have this in place for our children so that they have an education that compares well with other countries around the world.
I feel the need to speak up since there seems to be a lot of IB bashing going around (report cards, cost etc) . Once in place for a bit longer it should become much more familiar and hopefully people will be more enthusiastic.
The devil is in the details–in this case, the implementation. Expeditionary Learning, the International Baccalaureate, standards-based report cards, MAP testing, Response to Intervention, collapsing high school tracks, doing away with Honor Roll, all of these changes have the potential for great things in CSD. Myself, I don’t object to any of these per se. But sometimes it feels like we talk up our strategies, gear up, get ready for take off, and then….neglect the implementation. Why don’t we see as much attention given to implementation plans as to strategic plans? And so much of these efforts going on at once. It’s like watering a plant–if you water it too fast, the water just runs off the top of the pot. You need to water, let it sink in properly, then water again.
Oh and I forgot the biggie–charter system! I applaud our ambition but am worried re whether the teachers, parents, and students are getting all the support needed for successful implementation. If you commit to change, you also should commit to the extra work, effort, documentation, and communication that comes with change. Otherwise, even great strategies will fall flat and be branded as fads.
Yes, that McDonald’s really does have poor service and it’s funny to see other Decaturmetro readers have noticed this too. Here’s a good Commerce McDonald’s story…
I was out running errands with my daughter over the holidays and she requested fries for our trip. After eating about half of my carton I noticed something shiny in the bottom of the container. It was a big screw! Luckily, it was in my fries and not my daughter’s and luckily I noticed it before actually eating the screw. I called a lawyer friend to ask which would be best for my upcoming lawsuit – swallow it whole or just take a bite and chip a tooth? Of course, I did neither, nor did I even bother to notify that lousy establishment.
What!!! A screw, lawsuit waiting to happen. Does anyone know the owner? They need to be notified before someone gets sick or hurt.
My visiting parents insisted on having breakfast there one morning.
(Apparently, in some parts of America, McDonalds is considered a viable dining choice)
While eating in the filthy dining room, I watched while my dad was approached by not one but two homeless beggars at different times. One was wearing an orange prison jumpsuit and was barely coherent. She got really loud and angry when he didn’t give her some money. My parents went back to their rural burg with quite an impression of Decatur.
Personally, if any of my friends and relatives from other environs visited and wanted to go to that Mcd’s, I’d politely, but firmly, refuse to let them do it. I’d say the same for Ruby Tuesday’s also.
My mom and dad always want to go the Ruby Tuesday when visiting. We’re usually the only ones eating there. They hate crowds, so incidentally, they love the place. This brings me great displeasure.
It amazes me that RT’s is still there. I’ve never seen more than a half dozen tables occupied at any time. I recall reading some mention here of a sweetheart lease they have, but don’t remember the details.
I still think you should have taken one for the team and ingested the thing. Think about it…you could have had free shakes for life! Well, as long as the shake machine was working.
…for the teachers and not well-adapted for IB. Plus high school grades have to be converted to ordinary grades for GPA purposes, increasing the sense of confusion.
Can anyone recommend a jewelry repair store? Above all else, I’m looking for a trustworthy and honest place. It would also be nice if it was reasonably-priced and somewhat local.
you could try alexia gallery (ponce) or decatur city jewelers (clairmont)
Worthmore on the square also repairs jewelery and watches.
Worthmore is awesome and has the best staff. Being a jewelry idiot, I was very pleased that Michael and Olya talked me through all of my options for getting a chain repaired, a charm made from a pendant, and they were completely understanding when I rejected a quote to convert a non-standard pendant to a charm because of the expense. Overall, an excellent experience every time I’ve been there. Oh! And the cleaned my wedding ring for free, and did a small repair on my husband’s watch gratis.
I’ve been pleased with several items I’ve had repaired or modified at Alexia.
To echo Harpua’s request, I need to have a stone re-set and would like to stay in CoD. It’s not valuable but it’s very sentimental, so I need someone who isn’t going to laugh at me.
I had two very inexpensive, but very sentimental, watches repaired at Worthmore and they were very professional. I’m sure the other recommended places are as well.
I’ve gotta throw a big shout out to New Orleans Snoball Cafe!!!
been going there since they opened and now they have hot things for lunch like turkey chili!
my father in law was in town so we walked over for lunch the other day,
muffaletta (i’m probably spelling that wrong) a drink and a bowl of the turkey chili for 7$ during lunch!
was awesome!!!!!!!
then of course i had to grab the “christmas cookie” flavored snoball with the chocolate icecream inside
so so so so so good
I second that! Get the Italian Wedding Soup — delicious in spite of my tastebud-muting bad cold. And therapeutic, too. I swear it has healing properties!
Thirded!
Fourthed.
Re guard at YMCA: isn’t there always one there? Or is it only during the holidays? I don’t think it’s incident-specific.
Regarding Dyslexia,
Anyone have experience re: CSD support of a “gifted” child with dyslexia at the 4/5 school or Renfroe? We are new to town are going to eventually have 3 guys in the CSD system if we are comfortable with the support system for our oldest.
Be sure to visit http://dyslexiadecatur.org/ –it’s a site put together by parents with dyslexic kids in CSD who are frustrated with the lack of support. While we’re in it to help our own kids, we are also very interested in building a significant support network of parents so that we can help influence decisions within CSD that will improve Exceptional Student Services for all children, including those whose parents aren’t able to lobby effectively for them.
The Decatur Dyslexia Network is a good place to meet other families with dyslexia and talk about common issues, e.g. how to find good Orton-Gillingham trained tutors, good educational advocates for the RTI/IEP processes, the specifics of Georgia law, and school options like staying in CSD with an IEP, Schenck School, Atlanta Speech School, Howard School etc.
There was a time when some CSD folks would claim that dyslexia was not a learning disability. As you seem to already know, that’s unfortunate because dyslexic children should be identified as early as possible, hopefully by first or second grade, because the most successful interventions should be implemented by then. But Georgia Law is real clear now that dyslexia is a qualified learning disability and many CSD teachers and specialists have been trained in some evidence-based methods for treating reading disabilities. However, you still don’t get a clear answer when you ask what evidence-based program CSD is using for dyslexia, the question that State Dept. of Education experts recommend that parents ask of their school system, nor is there yet much documentation of the early identification and support that CSD provides for dyslexia. Hopefully, this will improve. You should talk directly to Pat Kennedy who is probably the most knowledgeable and supportive administrator in terms of dyslexia.
= Parking lot on West Ponce between Dancing Goats and 431 shops =
I parked there last night, starting at 8:45 pm, there were three other cars in that entire lot. As far as I could tell, all (most?) of the shops were closed and Dancing Goats was closed. I go across the street for refreshments at Marley, return to my car at 9:45 and my car has been booted, and it costs $75 to be unbooted. So, Cartel Properties wants $75 for parking in their empty lot after all of the shops are closed. If I got booted during the day doing the same thing, I wouldn’t say boo. But this is kinda crazy. This is not about protecting their parking spaces for the businesses, it is about making some money. So, first, be warned. I’ve been parking in that lot to go to Angel/Grange/Marley for years, only after hours, but apparently you can’t do that anymore.
On the bright side, Colin from Marley came out when he saw what had happened and talked the parking guy into the removing the boots from the cars. Now, I think I need to go to Marley and spend $75, which I’ll gladly do.
If The Marlay’s own lot is full I usually park at the P. O. credit union next door (avoiding the spaces which have signs), which I think is OK. I believe I saw a sign posted at The Marlay last time I was there warning about the booting and suggesting the P.O. instead
Good suggestion, and I’ll try that next time. It was just a little infuriating because parking enforcement after the shops close seems mostly motivated by making some additional money. If they wanted to number the spots and make it after hours paid parking, or have an attendant (probably not worth it), fine. Instead, they’re going to make the money by catching people at $75 a pop.
probably run by the same people who run the parking lot on the square beside eddie’s/city hall. I’ve walked by many times and have seen the guys who work there staring at their watch until the time a car is paid until boot it, and see the owner walking to the car at the same time. they are relentless. Everytime i’ve seen this i’ve seen the people argue, even one person who was there within a minute, i think his time must have expired at 2:00 and he was yelling at the guy that it wasn’t even 2:01 yet and the parking lot guys wouldn’t budge. infuriating.
Yeah, park at the PO, or down a side street and walk.
And kudos to Colin for coming out and working it out. The Comers are great!
Now, while I’m all about everyone sharing parking spaces and all local business owners being all kumbiya (sp?) and acting reasonably, we do have to understand that if you own property one of the basic rights is the right to exclude. If I own a parking lot, I get to say who has the right to park in it and who doesn’t. I can say I don’t want anyone parking in it at all. And just because I might be an a** about it doesn’t make me wrong. The Marlay could pay for access to that parking lot for their patrons after hours. And for all I know they’ve tried and been told no. The bottom line is that while it may not make sense to late-night Marlay-goers why Cartel won’t allow parking in an empty lot, it’s still their right to say no.
I’ll join you in spending $75 at the Marlay!
I totally agree that Cartel is entirely within their rights to be complete d*cks.
Agreed.
A related issue is that someone might sue Cartel for any injuries or property loss/damage that might occur on the lot after hours.
Agree-free parking is not a right. Visit some other cities to realize that.
In a reverse of that, a few months ago I saw an SUV park “illegaly” at the Marley to go to Dancing Goats….only problem was of all the spots in the empty lot they decided to park in front of the dumpster. illegal squared. and of course the garbage truck came, waited for a bit, then had to leave.
If I’m spending $75 at the Marlay, you can bet I am walking (with a slight tilt) home. no drivin’ for me …
On a totally different thought, was driving on I-285 yesterday between flat shoals and memorial around 3 and traffic was moving slow behind a line of blue lights — state troopers were definitely holding back the mayhem…wondered if this had anything to do with a funeral, but didn’t see a hearse …anybody know?
usually done for roadwork ahead that has to cross lanes, i.e. hanging signs / bridge work/ etc
rarer occasions are pres. motorcade
Does anyone have any experience with Academe of the Oaks?
Our son is in 8th grade at the Waldorf School, but we are very familiar with Academe. It is a great school if you are actually interested in an enlightened “education” as opposed to storing information. Small classes, academically demanding, students are deeply engaged in the learning process with their teachers and peers. If your kid is looking for the big high school experience, sports, prom, etc. this isn’t it. I took a tour recently and wanted to sign up instantly. My son, on the other hand, after 10 years of Waldorf education wants to experience the other side.
I’m looking for some gluten free dining here in Decatur. I’m looking to see if anyone has any suggestions or experience at some of local spots. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I believe Farm Burger has a gluten-free bun, so that’s one option!
Doesn’t Mellow Mushroom have some gluten-free items? Also I have a gluten allergic friend who likes Community BBQ.
Saba in Oakhurst has GF items on the menu. And their food is yummy!
I’m in the market for a reasonably priced internet provider. I don’t need adddons, phone or tv, just a reliable internet connection. Suggestions? anyone have a positive feedback on local providers?
AT&T does offer “naked DSL”.
Does that mean they don’t block YouPorn?
where is a good place to sled in decatur/oakhurst? gettin’ ready…
If there is enough show, I would hit the big hill on Adams St. Just have to get to it quick before the city takes care of the snow.
The Decatur Cemetary! Just be sure you don’t slide all the way into the lake. Seriously…I almost did that one year (blizzard years ago).
“The greatest of faults, I should say, is to be conscious of none.”
-Thomas Carlyle
I love your quotation here, DM, but I have no idea what you are commenting on.
Has anyone been to Savannah’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade? Any comments or suggestions to share? We are thinking about going for the first time ever.
I hope the snow storm doesnt disrupt the building schedule of the diner too much! They are on such a tight schedule.
Here’s my CSD gripe:
Is AN EASY TO READ, EASY TO FIND SCHOOL CALENDAR a possibility before my youngest graduates?