Free-For-All Friday 4/15/11
Decatur Metro | April 15, 2011Feel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local issues not discussed here over the past week.
Comments close Monday.
- rss
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.
At Home in Decatur
Decaturmom
Bo
Scott
Bullseye
Steve
So Many Books...So L…
Rival
JC
At Home in Decatur
DrB
DrB
Mr. C
Bruce
At Home in Decatur
Anyone experimenting with DM Sponsor “Socially” from the ad linked to the right?
http://s.ocial.ly/explore
Not until I don’t have to create a login just to see if it’s even useful to me.
Have made a login, haven’t really done anything or linked to any groups yet.
Anyone know of a good place to buy a trailer hitch and have it installed?
I know U-Haul will do it.
Hitch House 770-674-2395
They used to be on Covington Hwy but recently moved to Peachtree Ind. area.
I second Hitch House.
Third
Fourth. Hitch House put our bike rack hitch on quickly and reasonably.
What is the earliest construction is allowed to commence in the COD. I woke up to the sounds of jack hammers before 700 AM on Inman. It was the workers replacing gas lines. This seems awfully early to be making so much noise.
i want to say 8am…
steve? are you out there?
Joe is correct.
Steve,
Is there a similar code regarding leaf blowers?
Oh, how I wish we could limit those ear-blasting pollutants to certain times on certain days.
And isn’t there a rule against blowing the leaves down the storm drains instead of bagging them up? I’d hate to rat on a neighbor but I worry every fall about it getting clogged.
Construction work is permitted during the following time limits for work located in or within 300 feet of a
residential zoning district:
Monday-Friday: 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: No work permitted, except in case of urgent necessity and authorized by the City Manage
I very much appreciate our Decatur police. However, for the next few months, I’d like to see them spending more time on the square dealing with the criminals who are selling drugs to our high school and middle school kids and less time handing out traffic tickets. Also, isn’t the square within 1000 feet of a school? Shouldn’t these scumbags get hit with harder charges for possessing drugs near a school?
Selling drugs on the square to our middle and high schoolers? Ok, I know I’m naive, gullible, and square, but isn’t this completely unacceptable? Can’t this be handled? To me, this problem outweighs school start times, school calendars, and even poor math performance. Those are the brains and bodies of our children at risk.
Has anyone informed DPD of this? Seems like they’d be all over it.
Based on the random comments here over the months about kids buying drugs on the Square, it seems like it’s pretty common knowledge among students and some parents. But that doesn’t mean that DPD has heard anything.
Crimereports.com shows three drug arrests around the Square since October 2010. One in October, one in January and one in March.
Where is the evidence that drugs are being sold to teenagers on the square? I’m pretty sure grownups way outnumber teens on the square.
DPD recently increased patrols on the Square. There are 3 officers assigned to the Square and business district, including one bicycle officer. There may not be 3 all the time, but there are generally at least 2. If you have concerns, talk to Captain Richards or Deputy Chief Lee.
At the last DBA meeting Chief Booker also introduced three new officers. I am pretty sure he said they would be introducing bike patrols. Sounds like this might be something already on his radar.
That’s exactly what I was referring to. Those are not three new officers: they’ve just been reassigned to concentrate on the Square area. And, there has been at least one bicycle patrol for quite some time.
Thanks for this comment MrFixIt. I didn’t know about the drug selling, but now I am reassured that I have been making the right decision in not letting my kids hang out after school, especially at the square, until they are in about 10th grade! As my husband says, the square is not a playground nor is it a mall. With pubs and MARTA surrounding it, it is not an appropriate place for kids to hang out.
I’m all for bringing back drug deals on the square if that also means the grand reopening of the Grog Shop is not far behind…
Second the motion for return og the GS!!!!!
Hopefully PD will arrest the drug dealers and drug users, both are wrong.
Couldn’t agree with you more. Those people who smoke a joint in their home at the end of a stressful day, while you are relaxing with your glass of wine, should be thrown in jail immediately!!
Back when I lived OTP, I would go to Eddie’s Attic on a regular basis because I liked the acts they booked and I appreciated the respect to listening that they strongly advocate. But now that I live in Decatur, I haven’t been once. They’ve never had comfortable seating, but the reserving whole tables and no guaranteed seating unless you buy a meal combo in advance turns me off. I know they had to get with get with the times and offer tickets online, but the old way of lining up early to get a number seemed a lot less corporate-ish. Maybe there’s a middle ground solution.
And I know they’ve been doing this way of ticketing for a while, but I just realized how I don’t go to Eddie’s anymore when I considered buying tickets this week and I decided not to.
You should check out Eddie’s on the first Wednesdays of the month. There’s a great bluegrass/folk/etc jam session on stage called the Freight Room Revival. It’s put on by several members of The Dappled Grays and is amazing. Various bands will play a few songs and let the next round play a few, rinse and repeat. There’s even a concurrent impromptu pickin’ session on the patio. And you can line up and pay the $5 to the guy at the door, there’s generally always a table, or place at the bar, fast/friendly service, and great music to boot!
I realize this is a far cry from the sold-out shows that come there, but if you’re itching for some Eddie’s Attic of your past, this is definitely worth it.
Thanks, rob! I’ll have to check that out.
The outside seating upstairs is a great place to enjoy this great spring weather. It’s pretty kid friendly (except for the rare smoker, cough cough).
(it is a bar…cough cough)
Hey people,
If anyone wants a free twin bed (box springs, mattress and metal frame with wheels), please let me know by leaving your contact details on my website:
http://www.russtaylor.info/home/2011/4/15/twin-bed-available.html
It’s in great shape; not used much at all. Must be able to pick it up from our Coventry Rd location on Sunday the 17th.
-Russ
UPDATE: someone just claimed the bed…
Oakhurst Presbyterian Church will continue its discussion of race relations by
hosting “The Wolf by the Ears: Emory and Race.” During the forum, Emory
University representatives will talk about discovering and acknowledging the
legacy of race and slavery in Emory’s history.
The event will take place on Saturday, April 16, from 10:00 to noon, at Oakhurst Presbyterian Church (118 Second Avenue in Decatur). Free lunch and childcare will be provided.
For more information about the event and related programs, contact Oakhurst
Presbyterian at (404) 378-6284 or visit the church on the Web at
http://www.OakhurstPresbyterian.org.
How lovely for Emory to get its knickers in a twist over its slavery history while ignoring its current actions of firing long-term older employees to save a few bucks.
i saw first baptist advertising a community shredding event for saturday 10am-1pm for anyone who needs that.
I thought churches were supposed to be in the business of building up communities, not shredding them.
+1
Thank you for sharing. I desperately need to shred. I have two trash bags after cleaning out our file cabinets at home.
Is there going to be a trash amnesty day this year? Or did I already miss it…
Here are the dates: http://www.decaturga.com/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=1735. Whether you missed it or not depends on where you live…
Recycling Question:
We’ve outgrown our single bin and were thinking about getting a larger, more trash can-like container to hold our recyclables. If we take our recycling to the curb in a large container does anyone know if the city will pick them up? Or, if not, does anyone know how we can get another ‘official’ recycling bin?
They told me they will pick it up in anything.
Robbie- you can call the Public Works Department and request another recycling bin: 404-377-5571 -they will deliver it on your next trash day.
You can get a bin for free by calling Latham Home Sanitation, Decatur’s recycling provider (678-858-5407). They also have 95-gallon wheeled carts available for $68.
I called and ordered the $68 wheely-can a year or so ago. They brought it the next day and I left them a check. Easiest thing ever.
i got one of the 95 gallon containers as well. LOVE IT!
so glad to hear about the 95 gal rolling bin- it might cut off the cries of “too much recycling” in our house after filling the second bin to the brim!
The 95 gallon wheelie bin is great – we got one last year and it is soooooo much better than carrying two small bins down the driveway and getting spillage all over your clothes.
I know you’re talking about the contents (hopefully just water?) of some of the containers, but with the ambiguity in the language and the fact that the items themselves can spill out of the bins, I can’t help but smile at the image:
“I spilled newspapers on my jeans and now look at them!”
For what it’s worth, we requested a new bin after they took one of ours (it was in really bad shape and the duct tape just wasn’t working anymore) and we are still waiting for them to deliver it about 3 months later. We usually put overflow recyclings in a cardboard box and they always pick it up.
I had to call about 3 times to get ours replaced last year.
Anybody know if Decatur Post Office is doing the late night on tax day thing? Curious that it’s been shifted to the 18th this year.
MadSci – The story that I read attributes this to Emancipation Day as a holiday in Washington, D.C. Emancipation Day is April 16th, but that is a Saturday this year, so DC is observing today.
Note to self: Be careful cycling past the Post Office tonight.
Tonight will be fine – Monday night is when to stay away.
Anyone know a place that’s open on the weekends that does alignments? I just had some front end work done on my car and my shop (Karma VW) doesn’t do alignments. I’d really like to take it in over the weekend and get it done.
Well, Firestone does it, but the one time I had my alignment done there, my car tried to fly into a ditch every time I took my hands off the steering wheel.
NTB on Dekalb Industrial is open on Saturday and Sunday.
NTB on Dekalb Ind near Kroger is open on Sat and Sun starting at 7am, I think.
I’ve always had good service with Kaufmann Tire on Church St.
I will spend this entire weekend cursing the IRS and the federal government. I do want to say happy holiday to the liberals on the board, and all my neighbors, who regard tax day as a non-secular holiday.
Why would liberals view tax day as a non-secular holiday?
Because some conservatives assume liberals love taxes, just like some liberals assume conservatives love war. Neither is correct, but there ya go.
We should, then, all close our minds. I like how the phrase “non-secular” was thrown in there–let’s all go tear down a Planned Parenthood or Wells Fargo!
This is the post of the day. Well said, Lump.
Tax wars for all!
You can do anything
“You can do whatever you want, whenever you want, and all the time.”
Really?
That kid’s parents should have their home-schooling license revoked.
Love the rooster!!
Can anyone tell me if I need to get a permit or register or do anything with the city to hold a yard sale?
You need to get a free permit. I cannot quickly find the page on the City website – call the City Clerk’s office.
The yard sale permit application is under Residents/Events (don’t ask me why, I found it the hard way). It says you are to bring it to the clerk’s office in person. If you assume that is because they will then give you a permit, you will be wrong. They will just accept the application and thank you and tell you to have a nice day. Be smarter than I was — mail it in. Unless you have nothing better to do than interrupt your work day to go downtown just for that.
Thanks for the help, Steve and smalltowngal. I work downtown, so it wouldn’t be hard for me to turn the application in in person during my lunch break some day.
A permit to hold a yard sale? Lovely…
anyone know when Trackside is opening back up?
In past years we’ve had a “bonus” sanitation pickup (a spring Saturday) when we could put larger items on the curb. Does anyone know if this is happening this year– if so where might I find the schedule? Thanks.
Scroll up on this topic – Cleon asked the same question and got an answer.
Not sure but I have patronized the recently re-opened Our Way Cafe three times this week and it was great! Baked Chicken Salad…Yum. The owner was walking around greeting everyone. I am so glad they have re-opened.
A couple things:
1. Oakhurst Jazz night was great last night and am enjoying the new Decatur Dash app I downloaded after learning about it there- got it for my iphone, but pretty sure there is one for android as well.
2. Would someone start serving breakfast in Oakhurst? 7 days a week and before 11am? We have a glut of gastopubs and Mexican, which I love, but I need breakfast!
3. Also, if someone would turn the old Big H site into a skating rink that would be great. I know there is a new church in there, but there has gotta be some way to incorporate the two.
power out on melrose! thank goodness for battery backups!
Re – drugs for sale on the square:
Are the prices and quality good? Will they sell to grownups, or just high school kids?
I’m sticking with my regular supplier for now but I might try the guys on the Square if they offer a Scoutmob or Groupon deal…
My 1st grade daughter and her friend have hatched a plan to raise money for Japan. They are setting up a lemonade stand at the corner of Michigan and Superior this afternoon around 3. Please stop by. This has been a week in the making, and they even have debated the price point. Interestingly enough, they wanted to charge more for ice than lemonade.
Both the pink and yellow variety will be available. Please stop by!
DHS report cards arrived in today’s mail.
Missing a grade (again): seven courses, six grades.
When this has happened in the past, I have mentioned it to a counselor, a principal and the registrar. I view report cards as an important communication with parents/guardians.
This repeated oversight leaves me with less confidence in administrators.
Am I asking too much?
What’s the IB rubric for Sending-Home-Report-Cards? We need to know the scale, criteria, and performance standards. I believe that the scale is 1-7 with 1 being “No demonstration of an understanding of how to report out 100% of grades to all students” and 7 being “Shows complete understanding of how to report out grades with 100% of DHS students receiving 100% of their grades on mailed report cards. I believe that DHS currently rates a 4: “Demonstrates progress in reporting out IB gradesby providing at least 90% of students with grades for at least 90% of their subjects”. Hopefully the new bell schedule will allow DHS to get adequate inquiry-based instruction and support in this particular standard so that the next evidence-based summative assessment (aka next report card mailing) shows an IB grade of at least 5 or 6 which will be converted to a percentage of 72% or 87% when it is reported out for the Dept. of Education calculations for Hope scholarships.
Anyone know why one of the new pieces of playground equipment at Glenlake Park is chained up? Were kids flying off and banging their heads on the swings?
I wondered the same thing. The idea of the gyroscope-like contraption is to spin around 360-degrees in the same direction, not go 90 degrees one wayt, stop hard, go 180 degrees the other way, stop hard again, and then fall out. The Cowart Playground on Vieginia Avenue near the Trader Joe’s has three of these gyroscope pieces that have NO bolted lock in place — and everyone seems fine.
I was there during spring break and there was rope keeping that thing from spinning all the way around. But seriously I worried more about someone getting their head caught in the rope.