Leslie sends in this incredible photo of the current state of things at the intersection of Willow Lane and Superior Ave after a water main broke yesterday (and then broke again today).  Residents in the area are again without water.  Here’s Leslie’s report…

Water was restored very briefly this afternoon and then they found a leak in the line connecting the water and the fire hydrant on the corner of Superior and Willow. This leak blew out and created a muddy pool of water in the hole, which is 15 feet deep. No one was hurt – one worker was in the hole at the time of the blow out and he managed to get out safely. They have turned the water off again and brought in a pump truck to clear the water out of the hole. Still no word as to when service will be restored.

My kids were totally awed by the spectacle and it has been a great excuse to socialize with the neighbors and the friendly, hard working fellows in DeKalb County’s Watershed Management Department. No, I’m not being sarcastic. They are really nice.

Willow Lane @ Superior Ave, Decatur GA (pic submitted by Heather)

Erin writes in…

Oakhurst Elementary’s Spring into Summer Online Auction is now open for bids! It opened on Wednesday, April 13, 2011 at 6 p.m. and will end a week later on April 20, 2011 at 10 p.m. To bid, go to http://auctions.readysetauction.com/oakhurstpta/ and enter the password “oakhurst.” All proceeds from both auctions will benefit Oakhurst Elementary. Anyone may participate, and the starting bids for most of the auction items are 75 percent off retail prices. The live auction will be held on April 29, 2011 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Solarium in Oakhurst Village and is open to Oakhurst Elementary parents. This year, event organizers hope to raise $12,000 to help fund the Oakhurst studentsâАЩ many field expeditions. For more information, please visit www.oakhurstauction.com.

Decatur residents (and DM readers) Joe Mattern and Michelle Adams have spearheaded a great new Decatur event that’s bound to be the talk of the town!

Have fun, meet other Decatur Metro folks and support DM’s Decatur Education Foundation laptop drive and other “Tools For Success” initiatives – all in one great event!

Decatur Adult Prom 2011 is a charity fund-raising dance to be held on Friday, May 20 from 8p-Midnight at the Solarium in Oakhurst.  It’s like a flashback to your high-school prom, only this time it’s only for adults. Disco ball, DJ, Victory Beer, Prom Punch and soda, light snacks, lovely Prom decor, the opportunity to dress up in whatever prom gear you please and a great time await all attendees!

If you had a bad time at your original prom, or didn’t go, Decatur Adult Prom 2011 is the ultimate do-over.  If you enjoyed your high-school prom, then come and relive those good times all over again. We’re going to turn back the clock for one night only, and it will be EPIC. So, put on your best Prom duds and your dancing shoes, because we are gonna party like it’s 2011…or 1993, or whatever year you think is most appropriate. And the best part is that the profits go to the Decatur Education Foundation’s laptop drive and other “Tools For Success” initiatives!

Tickets are $40 each, including two drink tickets, and can be purchased right on Decatur Metro! (See below). Additional drink tickets will be available for purchase at $5 each at the event.

Special thanks to our initial sponsors Lampe-Farley, who created our great logo, and Victory Brewing, who will be providing beer for the event. Thanks also to our initial Prom Committee Members: Joe Mattern & Michelle Adams, Katherine Whan & Bradley Smith, Kyle Williams & Larry Kosten, Anna Mirk, and Kristin Leydig Bryant.

To purchase tickets, click “Buy Now” below.  Be sure to enter your full name when purchasing tickets; there will be a guest list at the door.   As is always the case with Paypal, you don’t need an account to pay – just a credit card. Just use the “Don’t have a Paypal account?” link-option. (Note: DM is processing all payments for the event this year, so though all proceeds benefit the DEF, tickets are not tax deductible this time around).

Buy your tickets soon as there are only a finite number available!

As has been pointed out in the comments to a previous post, the AJC put together a piece on the Decatur School Board’s “rejection” of earlier school start times.  A couple notable blurbs…

Board member Julie Rhame said she had made up her mind hours before the meeting even started.

“Every study I’ve ever seen shows that teenagers both go to bed later and sleep longer,” said Rhame, who voted with board member John Ahmann against the proposal. “I feel anything before 8 o’clock is too early.”

And then this from Superintendent Edwards…

Edwards estimates as many as 80 percent of the system’s students use one of the 14 school buses that cover Decatur’s 4 square miles. The system has done away with a “hub” system, eliminating the need for children to transfer from bus to bus. The parents of younger students also don’t want their children riding with older kids.

“Given all these considerations, I can’t see how start times can be the same for everybody,” Edwards said. “Somebody’s going to have to start early.”