Free-For-All Friday 4/29/11
Decatur Metro | April 29, 2011 | 7:30 amFeel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local issues not discussed here over the past week.
Comments close Monday.
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This week’s Free-For-All Friday is brought to you by: Kick in the Fit, offering a free month of boot camp (morning or evening) to one Decatur Metro reader. www.kickinthefit.com
To enter, just send an email with the subject line “Decatur Metro Giveaway” to [email protected] Make sure to include your name and address in the email. Kick in the Fit will pick the winner at random on Monday morning.
To combat the mosquitoes that virtually take over my backyard every summer, I’m considering installing a bat house. I’d love to hear from folks who have tried this method of pest control as to its level of effectiveness, any tips on installation, etc.
I have been batting (sorry) this idea around for a couple of years and I think this is the year. We have an owl living in our backyard & I wonder if the owl and the bat so close to each other will be a problem. The owl is kind of a badass. She ran off the hawk that had been living there.
I’ll look forward to reading about people’s experience with bats!
“the owl is kind of a badass”…that is awesome!!!
I’m not a birdologist of any sort, but I really doubt it would be a problem. I doubt either one would care about or be interested in the other. Different food, different types of predators. That owl is looking low on the ground for food, those bats are catching mosquitos. Maybe the owl would eat a bat once in while, but I’m sure he’d prefer squirrels and chipmunks and all their meaty furry friends.
Plenty of bats near the Oakhurst Garden and at least one Owl hung out there this past winter. Haven’t heard it in a few weeks though. Hope it’s still around…
Certainly anyone who really knows about either birds or owls should correct or clarify my discovery channel – level contribution here.
Maybe it’s not an owl at all. Perhaps it’s a winged Honey Badger.
If you look closely bats are meaty and furry. Well, maybe not so meaty.
When I was researching the barred owl that lives in our backyard (now actually two making crazy mating calls–can sound like monkey screams) the resource listed bats on the list of prey. I’m just hoping my adorable bunny family will survive. Bunnies in my backyard=Adorableness.
Bunnies in your backyard = Delicious!
Fabulous screen name!
my sister used this method and found it to be pretty effective. the key was to put some bat dung in the bat house to attract the bats. the people at intown ace were very helpful with all of the details so perhaps check in with them? side note—bat dung is toxic so anyone pregnant should avoid it.
“the key was to put some bat dung in the bat house to attract the bats”
Isn’t it interesting how something like that would never work with us humans?
Contact Elizabeth Hartman at Tails from the Hart! She’s a local wildlife rehabilitator who’s worked extensively with bats and can give you the best advice about bat-friendly living. (She also has ADORABLE BABY RACCOON videos.)
That said, mosquitoes are only a small part of insect-eating bats’ diet, but they’re helpful for reducing insect pests in general.
The Westchester Hills Garden club is meeting tomorrow to construct Bat Boxes. We are trying to crank out 7-10 boxes that will be strategically located throughout our neighborhood.
We can keep you posted on how they work out. From what I have read not only will bats eat thousands of mosquitoes per hour, they are happy to dine on stink bugs!
Did you all build from a pattern and cut the pieces of wood, or did you buy kits?
We did not buy any kits. The boxes took awhile but they came out great.
Feel free to send me an email at [email protected] and I will send you some of the links we used our materials list, and some pictures.
Holy Ambitious Batman!
We were able to complete three really nice bat boxes. They took a lot longer than we expected.
We used all scrap materials from the neighborhood so getting the materials prepped took a lot longer than we anticipated. We had to rip a lot of wood to get the sizes we needed. Also we only had one table saw along with some other tools set up and going at one time.
Scoring the wood rather than installing the pet mesh was a better, cheaper option.
Don’t forget to cut your vent holes on the front panel before you assemble the box. We overlook those until they were constructed.
All in all, it was a great neighborhood project and we are very pleased with our finished project.
I have had a bat house for 5 years with no bats. I was tired of being unable to enjoy the backyard and finally broke down and paid for my exterminator to treat for mosquitos. The results were amazing and I am always spreading the word thinking that the more in Decatur that spray the better off we are.
Following up on previous dentist/pediatrician/etc. conversations, have we ever done orthodontists? If not, anyone got a local preference? Thanks.
My kids went to Dr. Wesley Powell on Henderson Mill Road next to Northlake Mall. Good experience all around.
We love Dr Powell too! Great experience for my son, wonderful dental assistants, and Dr Powell is certainly easy on the eyes…
Ha! That’s what all the mommies whose kids go to Dr. Powell say. He looks like a movie star.
The two names I hear the most and seem to be high quality with a big following are Mary Lynn Crews and John Clinebell. But that’s not saying that there aren’t other great orthodontists around. These two are just nearby and popular.
Dr. Clinebell is the MAN! He fixed my jack-up teeth in no time at all!
What I really liked about Dr. Crews, besides the quality of her work, was the courtesy. The lines of communication were always open; we talked at the end of every single appointment. The waiting room was never full. My kids were always seen promptly.
+1
We had an excellent experience with Dr. Crews with the second kid after a really bad experience with Dr. Clinebell that left overcorrected and damaged teeth on the first kid.
Dr. Crews, who just had a baby, is my son’s orthodontist. She’s good, the staff is very efficient. I rarely wait very long for my son to be seen, and I can almost always get an after-school appointment if I want one.
Dr. Crews ROCKS. But as someone else mentioned, she just had a baby and I don’t think she’s taking anyone new until this summer. She’s worth waiting for, though, in my opinion!
Dr. Crews is great! She did a wonderful job with my rather nervous daughter.
Way they hell up I-575 in Woostock/Acworth off Bells Ferry Rd., but I refuse to see any dentist/orthodontist other than Dr. Alan Horlick. I’ve had awful experiences with other orthos and dentists, and Dr. Horlick and his staff are very skilled and very personable.
I would say that if you’re looking for the cheapest dentist around, it’s not him. My father chose to see the “sketchy” dentist in town to get a wood bridge put in for his implants, as oppsed to whatever metal one Dr. Horlick wanted to put in. To quote my father, “I respect that the man wants to give me the best care possible but that damn [metal] bridge would out live me!” But, you can also intepret that as an assurance that you will be getting the highest quality and most advanced care possible.We’ve given them a lot of money over the years but I’ve never felt ripped off.
If you can’t find anyone local I can’t reccomend him highly enough. Just uh, don’t try to make an appointment during Cobb or Cherokee County school breaks/back to school time. Oof.
http://www.dralanhorlick.com/
I don’t know if they do orthodontic work, but I can attest to the great work that Stein & Frankel do as far as general dentistry. You can find them online at http://www.2thdocs.com/. If they don’t do orthodontic work, I would be confident that they could give a good referral.
The royal wedding was beautiful and simple in the midst of the pomp and circumstance.
Agreed. It was a pleasure.
It was reassuring to see so many people having a nice time together, celebrating something really nice. God bless our cousins across the pond…!
They’re not my cousins–I’m from Kansas.
The lesson I take away is that we should really be worshipping the world’s hereditary monarchs more. They are truly deserving of our adulation.
Crank up the margarita mixer and pull out the flip flops!
Jimmy Buffett tickets for sale! 6 tickets in seats!
email at [email protected] for info
Be careful not to sit in the front row!
I’m pretty sure this violate’s DM’s terms of service and is likely otherwise illegal unless you have a business license to sell tickets. That being said, I will refrain from telling either DM or the po-po if you’ll just slide 2 of them my way gratis. You can jack up the price on the other 2 and all’s good 😉
I need my bathroom remodeled (really just restored to its original 50’s ranch house splendor). Any suggestions for a good remodeling company in the area? Also, any suggestions for a good all-purpose handyman that will do small and big jobs?
Steven at DSM Construction is a great handyman. His website is http://dsmconstruct.com/
May need something similar and am wondering if there is a company that is reputable and specializes in bathroom remodelling like some firms specialize in kitchen remodelling. I have found that some home remodelling firms give smaller jobs, like just a bathroom, a lower priority and either do not give the job enough attention or let it linger too long while they fit it in around bigger, more lucrative jobs.
Home Forge Remodeling has done two bathrooms for us and we couldn’t be happier. Both experiences- two years apart– were terrific and we ended up with great looking bathrooms within our budget, and on time. The guys are wonderful to work with, highly skilled, and pleasant to have in the house. I’d have them back anytime! Their website is : http://www.homeforgeremodeling.com/.
Can’t say enough good things about Penn Carpentry for remodeling work…we’ve used them twice and have been very happy. On time, on budget, capable of small and large jobs, and very easy to work with.
Penn did one good size job with us. Greg worked with us well to make sure what we wanted. Brought really competent subs in to do work. Finished a week early and slightly under budget. Wow!
We used And How Furniture http://andhowfurniture.com/
for our cabinets in the kitchen and master bathroom. Few years later we were back with them for our cabinets in the powder room bathroom and now our guest bathroom. I love their work and they do what they say they are going to do.
I need to choose a natural gas provider for the new house. Scana and Georgia Natural Gas seem to be the industry leaders. Anyone here have a preference between the two – or another provider? Thanks!
Walton EMC Natural Gas is my provider & I would highly recommend.
We also use Walton EMC and have been very happy.
I’ve been using Walton EMC for years and have been extremely pleased with them. Wish I could do our electricity through them too.
Georgia Natural Gas has a “true blue schools” program that automatically donates $5 per month to the school of your choice.
Thank you for this plug!
Georgia Natural Gas users: Please, please,please sign up for True Blue Schools (www.trueblueschools.com)–it costs you nothing but a few minutes of time just once and then earns $5/month for a CSD school. All of the schools but College Heights are signed up for it.
Ditto the True Blue Schools plug. I do the passive fundraising for the 4/5 Academy, and we made over $500 this year. I also know that Clairemont made $225 in just one quarter. It is a great program!
I’m with Fireside, whom I highly recommend. They consistently have one of the lowest rates and I get discounts for getting e-statements and for using autopay. I’ve also think that Walton EMC or Coweta-Fayette are good choices, although I have no personal experience with them. The GNG school program is cool, but I’d rather just have a lower monthly bill.
Other advice from Clark Howard: http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clark-howard/clark-cares/ga-natural-gas-guide/nFZc/
Current natural gas provider price listings: http://www.psc.state.ga.us/gas/pricecard.asp
Just to be clear, I’m not urging anyone to pick GNC just for the donation to schools. But if you ARE a GNC customer, please maximize your customer benefits by choosing a school to benefit from your patronage. Especially a CSD school!
Ditto for Target Card users and Publix customers. And don’t forget to cut out those Boxtops for Education off of grocery items and give them to a participating school–each one is 10 cents and they add up! As we tell the kids, throwing them away is throwing away a dime!
We’ve found good rates with Gas South. They have lots of giveaways and sweepstakes, too, especially if you are interested in Braves tickets.
Has anyone found a service that can help with carpenter bees? We’ve killed them around our shed (using squash rackets, only successful way so far….) but they’ve recently been hovering near our roof and we think they may be starting to get into some of our trim, and we can’t reach them.
Must…keep…comment…to…self
our exterminator (northwest) came out to spray specifically for the carpenter bees that have been torturing us for the past couple of years. the only ones we see now are dead ones.
They make the most amazing symmetric and deep holes. As much as I hate what they do to wood trim, I have to marvel at what their little bodies can do. Plugging up the holes is a start but not so easy on a roof!
Do they really do any harm other than the little holes they drill? This is not sarcasm, but a sincere question. Any bee experts out there?
I think they’re cool to watch and they don’t sting. Added bonus: they give the dogs something to obsess over.
Does anyone know when the Tex Mex place over near Cafe Lilly is going to open? I saw people working inside.
Seriously?
Yeah, like carpentry people not servers.
One of the other Decatur blogs said soft opening in about 2 weeks…
I just wanted to give props to a local Decatur “gem”, McKinney’s Apothecary. My mother came in from out of town and needed a prescription filled. She parked right in front, and was in and out before her $0.25 in the meter expired. Sure, you can get a prescription filled anywhere, but McKinney’s product is their service – fast, personal, and accurate. Please support our local, independent pharmacy. They make it very clear that they are truly appreciative to have your business.
Hear hear!
And I agree with comments about McKinney’s Apothecary. I did an online comparison with my insurer for my cost of a recurring prescription that is charged against my deductible.
At the chain store down the street (yes, CVS)? – $20.23
At McKinney’s Apothecary? – $12.87
And just like the previous post, a front door parking space and quick service. Open only Monday-Friday from 8am – 6pm but they will deliver in the area for a $3.00 fee.
Yes..this place is great. By the second time I came in they knew my name and had my refill already done and waiting. I love giving them my business and they so fit into the Decatur vibe. This is where Andy Griffith would get Opie’s prescription filled
need to give a big shout-out to the decatur pd for locating my 9-year old’s stolen bicycle (and by locating i mean arresting the n’er do-well while he was riding around on it)….after having a couple bikes stolen from our driveway in the middle of the day while my husband was in the backyard last spring, we got smart and finally wrote down all of the serial numbers for our bicycles…i would highly recommend taking the 5 minutes it took me to do that. decatur pd rocks!!
Was the ne’er-do-well an adult or child? I’m just imagining a scruffy man with his legs all scrunched up peddling furiously to stay upright on a kid’s bike.
can’t be certain but most likely older than a child…and probably too big for the bike, which may have tipped off the officer to begin with. unfortunately the bike we got back wasn’t in the same condition as the bike when it was stolen (outside of an elementary school, i may add)..wish there was some way for said n’er do-well to pay for repairs.
Sure you can – get the police to give you the arrest report then sue the person for damages
but wouldn’t i spend more in legal fees than it would cost to fix the bike? no lawyers in the family for pro-bono, unfortunately.
Actually, if you go to Small Claims (in Georgia that’s Probate) Court, you don’t need a lawyer. What you will need is a creditable expert witness who can draw up a repair estimate and go to court with you to back it up. That person must appear – written estimates without an expert present is considered hearsay in Georgia. It will cost you some $$ to file the complaint and get a warrant served. Of course, even if you win, there’s always the collection problem.
I think the writer above meant Magistrate Court. Probate handles your one stop shopping for Gun and Marriage licenses.
Thanks for the correction – it’s been awhile since I did that.
The filing fees for Magistrate are found here. http://web.co.dekalb.ga.us/StateCourt/fees.htm
(The url indicates State Court but the text on page says Magistrate)
If the bicycle isn’t worth at least a $100 you may not want to bother between filing fees and service. But you could always sue based on principle.
thanks for the great info, at & steve. i guess it is a matter of principle…f-er steals bike, f-er f’s bike up, f-er should pay for bike. unfortunately it isn’t so easily done. i’ll have to defer to karma on this one.
Did he have a toddler carseat attached to the back?
ha! probably…
and perhaps even pulling a lawnmower or two?
Looks like some activity in the buildings on the corner of 2nd and Hosea. Bars/wire coming off the windows, fresh coat of paint on the buildings… anyone know whats going on?
Noticed this as well and would be interested to know. Realize it’s technically “Atlanta metro” but figured close enough for some here to know.
I think the East Lake Farmer’s Market has brought interest back to this intersection.
Don’t know specifics but, as I recall, all four corners there are/were owned by the same group. They had worked up some proposals in collaboration/coordination with the neighbors but then had to put them on hold and just sit on the property waiting for the economy to thaw.
Yes, I think it was Cousins or some other big developer. They drew up plans and everything. Maybe they are going to start? That would be good news!
My recollection is that it was going to be some kind of condo/commercial mixed use thing. It will be interesting to see if the plans changed with the delay. My husband and I will have to come up with a geographical reference for that intersection. It’s been “P-Nut Corner” to us since we moved to the area in 2004. R.I.P. Fred P-Nut…
I need an painter–interior–any suggestions?
David Jumper – (770) 934-4160
Did a stellar job on our bathroom (squeezing into tight spaces between fixtures). Wonderfuly quality and very reasonable prices.
http://maps.google.com/maps/place?rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&oe=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=jumper+painter&fb=1&gl=us&hq=jumper+painter&hnear=Atlanta,+GA&cid=12062284991829454729
can we post yard sale info here? if not DM feel free to moderate this!
multi family yard sale in lenox place neighborhood tomorrow!
i know of at least 5 houses participating in it.
Saturday 8-1
240 Melrose Ave!
Re small claims–it’s magistrate court for something like the bike issue. You can also ask that the defendant pay your court costs. Of course, collecting is always the rub.
I have a deskjet HP printer (in working order) that I don’t need anymore. I would like to donate it to a local non-profit organization that could put it to good use. Any ideas? Thanks.
Looking for a good local (or semi-local) wholesaler of countertops. I’m not looking for anything fancy, just a small piece of laminate countertop to replace the 1970s-era harvest gold laminate countertop in one of bathrooms.
Try Restore on Memorial drive. Their website will give you hours of operation. And it helps a good cause.
just in case anyone doesn’t know, ReStore benefits Habitat.
Late post, I know, but does anyone have any experience with Karma VW/Audi? Looking for someone to give me an honest opinion on the remaining life of my Passat.
Thanks
GREATTTTT shop! I know over a dozen people who’ve taken their german cars there!
Hello! Can anyone recommend a dermatologist in the area???? Thanks!!
Hi Essdee – try Danna Calder at Georgia Dermatology Associates – http://dermga.com/. Danna is a Decatur neighbor and really listens to you!
i have been to dermatology associates of ga on clairemont just before n. druid hills…have seen dr. mcalvany and she was great. i now go to emory and see dr. mackelfresh although it is a crazy long time to get an appt as a new patient.
Thank a service member.
+1