So, I recall the City Manager mentioning this at the conclusion of the last Decatur City Commission meeting, but I never posted anything.  Thanks to Nubbs for reminding me with her FFAF comment!  Here are the details from the city’s website…

Don’t throw away that old cell phone, camera or PC component! Save it and recycle it on Saturday, March 19, 2011 at Decatur’s Electronics Recycling event. This semi-annual event has been hugely successful at diverting electronic equipment from landfills, where they may contaminate soil and water. Batteries will be accepted.

TV’s will be recycled for a minimal fee of $10 cash only per TV set with exact change. There is no charge to recycle other items.

The event takes place Saturday, March 19 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Decatur High School Parking lot, on the corner of N. McDonough St. and W. Howard Avenue. Electronics dropped off that day will be sorted and disassembled into raw materials or cleaned for re use.

In addition to electronics, any metro area resident can also drop off batteries of any type.

Oakhurst – Decatur, GA (pic courtesy of Alison)

Many of you have already clicked-thru on the ad above, but for those that haven’t I wanted to remind everyone about Decatur’s most-excellent Old House Fair tomorrow from 9am to 5pm at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in downtown Decatur.

What’s in store this year?  Here’s some info from the city’s official press release…

Homeowners attend how-to seminars and workshops on restoring old windows, historic landscapes, researching an old house, kitchen and bath ideas, energy efficiency, and much more. The Fair also includes a large exhibit hall of professionals, retailers, and suppliers specializing in home improvement, historic preservation, and interior furnishings.

Exhibit area opens at 9 a.m.; seminars begin at 10 a.m. Topics include:

* Ranch Houses in Georgia and DeKalb County-Iconic or Ordinary?,  Researching Your Old House/What Style is Your Home (Bring Pictures!), Energy Efficiency in Old Homes, Wood Window Workshop,  Maintaining Your Old Home, “Greening” Your Old House, Plaster and Paint,  Creating 20th Century Landscapes, Creating Historic Interiors in a Modern World, Understanding Wood Floors and Wood Details in Older Homes, Kitchen and Bath Solutions for Older Homes, Ask Bill! Q &A on Older Home Dilemmas, Working with an Architect and Design Solutions for Additions and New Construction in Historic Neighborhoods,  Storm Windows for Old Houses.

Tickets can be purchased HERE and are $10 in advance and $15 at the door.

A DM reader gives some great local tidbits on the 2010 Census data released yesterday…

Decatur between 2000 and 2010 grew modestly — 4.7% to 19,335. That’s slower than the 7.5% in the ’90s.

What’s worth noting is that the black population shrank by almost a third (-31 percent) — going from 5,592 to 3,858. That’s nearly double the 16.7% loss in the ’90s.

The white population grew 15.7% to 13,896 from 11,935 (it grew 33% in the ’90s). …But we gained diversity in other ways. Asian population went to 554 from 312, a 77.7% increase. And the proportion of population identifying as Hispanic — this can be any race — grew to 612 from 309, a 98% increase.

Another big growth area, and one of the most interesting: people who checked more than one race on the census form. It went to 416 from 221, an 88% increase. The rest of the racial breakdown is an infinitesimal share of Native Americans, Pacific Islanders and “other.”

I’ve been informed of some very sad news this morning.  The City of Decatur’s well-loved PALS Supervisor Alma Fleetwood died last night due to a respiratory illness.

Back in 2005, Ms. Fleetwood received the City of Decatur’s Thomas O. Davis Public Servant award for her service to the community.  Though a few years old, the award write-up provides an excellent description of Ms. Fleetwood’s deep and continued involvement in the Decatur community.  She will be sorely missed by many, many people.

The Decatur Business Association presented the fifth annual Thomas O. Davis Public Servant award to Alma Fleetwood. Alma has been employed by the City of Decatur since April 1997 – first as a school crossing guard, later as a parking attendant and currently as the PALS supervisor.

Alma serves as a good role model to her staff. She is quick to identify problems and issues and offer suggestions and solutions. In a difficult job, she maintains her composure and uses her communication skills to positively resolve problems. She is eager to learn and is currently enrolled in the University of Georgia Management Development Program.

A resident of Decatur, Alma has volunteered at College Heights Elementary School, has served as a block captain and as president of the College Heights Neighborhood Association. She currently serves on the board of the South Decatur Community Development Corporation and she regularly assists with a number of community special events, including the Arts Festival, the Beach Party, the Oakhurst Arts and Music Festival and many others. She is enthusiastic in her support of the community and can be relied upon to take a leadership role.

Alma is a dedicated mother and grandmother. Her family is important to her and she can be counted on to be supportive – whether it’s attending a Decatur High football game or driving across the state for a cheerleading competition.

Photo: Alma Fleetwood (right), City Manager Peggy Merris (center), then-DBA President Frank Cavalii (left)