Free-For-All Friday 5/6/11
Decatur Metro | May 6, 2011Feel free to use this post to ask questions and make comments about local issues not discussed here over the past week.
Comments close on Monday.
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Feel free to use this post to ask questions and make comments about local issues not discussed here over the past week.
Comments close on Monday.
Daydreamer
J_T
Rick Julian
smalltowngal
The Walrus
Kimberly Rhodes
Sharron
DEM
The Walrus
AMB
Curious
At Home in Decatur
Mic
Decatur Metro
DEM
Can anyone recommend a good jewelry repair place? My mom is looking for someone to put a loose stone in a ring setting, and is having a hard time finding a (reputable) place.
Check out Kismet across the street from Java Monkey. They fixed my watch. I would assume they could fix jewelry given the large selection there.
Worthmore Jewelers on the square in downtown Decatur.
Just had some work done on my wedding ring at Decatur City Jewelers. He was willing to do it right away and had it ready in less than an hour–on a Saturday afternoon. Very honest, very good pricing.
Think we’ve now covered every jewelry store in Decatur, but wanted to toss in a recommendation for Alexia Gallery. They make fine jewelry on-site and can do any sort of repair or custom work.
It’s the last day of Teacher Appreciation Week. Should have posted this reminder LAST Friday but oh well. If you haven’t done anything for your children’s teachers this week, for the usual reasons–never got the notices from school out of the backpack black hole and email is infected with malware, travelling for work, working on your tax extension, whatever–not to worry. Just sit down over the weekend and write an email or note. Just like school assignments, there’s a brief grace period if you have a note from your Mom.
I like this.
Who has the right of way on sidewalks?
Yesterday I was walking 2 six years olds to school. They were scootering on East College Avenue. They were scootering at very different paces so weren’t too near each other. A runner some feet ahead of me said “I need some space” and (after she had passed) when I looked back at her a little surprised that she had been so abrupt, she she said, rudely, “well you saw that I was coming”. Mind you, I wasn’t focusing on her’–I was trying to make sure the less experienced scooterer didn’t scoot in the busy street!
Tell her to keep running so she’ll lose more weight and maybe not need so much space?
Sorry, I agree with the jogger. Kids on wheeled conveyances need to be taught that pedestrians have the right of way. They should be taught to pull off to the side of the sidewalk, dismount, and wait for the pedestrian to go by. Erratic kids on scooters can do some damage (both to themselves and others). If she was talking to you only (as another pedestrian), then she was just being rude. I kinda assume from your post that she was referencing the kids.
And seriously, J_T, a crack at her weight? Way out of line.
Why stop there. Those lousy kids should also throw rose petals at the feet of passing pedestrians.
LOL! To be honest, I wasn’t imagining the runner being fat. See, anyone who loses weight will still need relatively less space. When (OK, IF) a fat slob like me decides to (OK, “is forced to”) run, we are not going to waste precious oxygen chastising perceived sidewalk hogs. In my case, the odds of me even seeing you through the sweat and my thoughts of an imminent heart attack make it much more likely that I will be apologizing for running you over and breaking your scooter
+1
Ridiculous. A runner can easily step off the sidewalk for a second. Six year olds on scooters cannot– nor is it easy to corrall them into a single file line in a timely manner.
I should add that I l’d feel differently if we were talking about 12 year olds. It’s pretty easy to say that “kids should be taught” to do a lot of things. I agree they should. But you can’t expect a six year old to have that mastered.
Sounds to me like the jogger was being crabby. I do find it annoying when I have to avoid kids running amok but I don’t think it’s worth getting all bent out of shape. Usually I’ll just call out something to the kids like “watch out buddy” and try to keep my tone friendly. It’s nice to hear the parents calling out instructions to the kids to watch for you. But this is major over-analysis. Surely we can all share a sidewalk.
V., seriously? Pull off and “dismount?” I think that is taking it a bit far.
By the way, I wasn’t saying your kids were running amok. Just speaking in general.
Davo, that’s hilarious. The first picture I clicked was the two older men. Apparently it’s OK to call senior citizens “D’bags” if the hold you up for even a second. File under “first world problems.”
I know, right? Scooters, pull out, dismount…must. stop. now…I know I can’t be the only one on the verge of saying something that will get me censored and put on DM probation!
Right. I’m not even sure where this “right of way” rule comes from. Call me crazy, but a little kid on a bike, who generally can’t or shouldn’t be riding on a road, is as much a pedestrian as a 40 year old out for a walk. If I’m walking, I am more than happy to stand aside and let a 6 year old on a bike pass me by, which often means just staying to one side of the sidewalk. Forcing the kids to get off the sidewalk entirely and stand still as someone passes by is an odd view of “sharing.”
Apparently there are many disgruntled pedestrians out there….
http://sidewalketiquette.com/
While we’re on the topic of sIdewalk etiquette …
There’s an exponential growth of double wide kid (st)rollers whose pushers should share. All others shouldn’t be expected to run up in a yard or out in traffic to continue on their way.
Give a little. Take a little. Don’t just gab and push.
Thank you.
Agreed, I’ve witnessed several elderly neighbors having to step into the street to avoid these SUV’s of the stroller world. Also, what’s the deal with putting grown children into strollers? I’ve seen kids between 5 and 7 years old still being pushed around.
Sharoon, you’re right– this is a completely different situation than the two little ones on the scooters. In this situation, grown folk have the control of the vehicles in question, and ought to use their grown folk manners & move the ding-dang-diggity hades out of the frickin’ way!!!
And then there’s the two double- wide strollers passing on a narrow sidewalk problem . . . Not to mention the walking with dogs etiquette issues . . . Multiple dogs, dog and stroller, dog and stroller and small child walking . . . Runner with a double wide stroller, a dog and 6 year old on scooter . . .
Now I have the song Sidewalk Talk stuck in my head.
c’mon people now…smile on your brother…everybody get together…try to love one another right now!
as a former double stroller pusher i always moved over for runners and i do teach my now biking and scootering kids to slow down and/or move to the side as they pass others…i think teaching general consideration as they navigate sidewalks is just a good rule whether they are walking, biking, scootering, skipping or shimmying….
seriously..we can’t be arguing about sharing sidewalks…there are people out running..kids scootering…mamas pushing babies in strollers….it can’t be that bad
But annie, honey, you’re obviously not the kind of stroller-pusher people are complaining about! If people were more considerate & careful, there wouldn’t be a problem…
oh i am sure people are complaining about me but maybe not about that
Trish,
What you failed to explain on this very public forum is that you were walking two abreast with your daughter, who did not have good control of her scooter, and that I had already had to navigate around your erratically scootering boy. That you chose to put them on scooters on a very busy street and not look ahead of you are your choices. Don’t make them my problem.
What could I have said to remind you to extend common courtesy to another adult on the sidewalk that would not have offended you, or this very judgmental crowd?
Hearing that version of it, does change the way it initially sounded.
If someone is so focused on 2 little ones with scooters that they’re unable to watch the path ahead, that’s an obvious safety issue for all.
*Shrug* Maybe I have high standards for 6 year olds. But, yep, I am being serious. This is the policy that I’ve seen in action for all the kids in my family on scooters or bikes (who range from about 4 to 7.5ish) and it works fine. The parent (or adult in charge) claps their hands twice and all the kids immediately stop, hop off and stand beside their scooter or bike until it’s safe to go on. Works great. It’s used when pedestrians are nearby, and it’s really handy when a pedestrian has a dog that goes nuts or isn’t well behaved. The (family) policy was enacted after a collision between an (erratic, young) kid on a scooter and someone’s shins when the kid took an unexpected turn going too fast. It was a nasty gash requiring stitches. Does this color my judgment? Sure. But yes, I do think that kids can be taught to be aware of all people around them and share public resources like sidewalks, bike racks, water fountains and numerous other things in a courteous fashion.
And yes, sounds like the jogger could have been more polite about the whole situation.
So you clap your hands and your kids immediately obey your command, eh? We are clearly from very different families, possibly even different species…
When I clap all of the lights in my apartment turn off.
*guffaws*
i agree with V. As a regular neighborhood walker and occasional jogger, I’m continually appalled by how many adults pushing strollers and/or accompanying young children on trikes, bikes and scooters just assume the right of way and expect me to step off until they’ve passed. It’s particularly aggravating when, as often happens, they offer no acknowledgement that they’re hogging the sidewalk, just go barreling through, expecting the world to stop for them. I’m all for giving little ones some leeway while they’re mastering their vehicles. At the same time, they should also be mastering common courtesy and consideration for other people. Besides, it’s not always true that “a runner can easily step off the sidewalk for a second.” There’s no better way to turn an ankle, or worse, than taking an unanticipated step sideways and/or onto uneven ground. Not everyone using the sidewalks is an athlete, and the first thing middle age teaches you is how easy it can be to hurt yourself in the most ridiculous ways. Yes, “surely we can all share a sidewalk,” but everybody has to give a little.
Ye but “give a little” seems quite different from “pull off to the side of the sidewalk, dismount, and wait for the pedestrian to go by,” don’t you think?
It depends on the age of the child and the type of vehicle they’re riding, and the width of the sidewalk and the nature of the surrounding terrain. I don’t see the downside of teaching children to err on the side of thoughtfulness and courtesy. The toddlers who aren’t taught to share the sidewalk on their trikes and scooters become the 7-8 year olds who ride their bikes unaccompanied and still don’t know how to share. It’s already happening. And those bikes are bigger and usually going faster, so it’s pretty darned annoying. There’s one kid in my neighborhood who never fails to stop his bike and wait for me to pass, and I always thank him. (He’s still too young to be riding in the street, so I have no objection to his riding on the sidewalk.) Sure, on most stretches we could probably each move over and manage not to collide as we meet, but somebody has taught him to take the initiative in being courteous. Again, where’s the downside?
Agreed on thoughtfulness and courtesy but in most cases I can’t see how that requires the full stop and dismount routine. My kids have been riding on sidewalks for years without incident, and forcing them to stop every single time someone walks by is both unnecessary and kind of takes the fun out of riding a bike. Plus, I still don’t see why it is incumbent on the biker to stop as opposed to the walker. That “rule” stikes me as arbitrary.
At any rate, we’ve probably made enough of a mountain our of this molehill by now.
Point taken, but I can’t resist throwing on one more shovelful.
Speaking strictly for myself, I’m not saying the bike rider should always get completely off the sidewalk. The child I mentioned as a paragon of juvenile deportment doesn’t hustle off the sidewalk, but he does stop and put a foot on the ground until I or whoever passes. It’s a much appreciated gesture of courtesy and possibly even respect for elders. (I’ve reached that certain age when being addressed as “ma’am” is gratifying rather than mortifying.)
I’m not advocating hard and fast rules, really. I’m pushing for more common courtesy, which is what greases the wheels in situations where there are no particular rules. Of course an able-bodied pedestrian has some responsibility in the sidewalk give-and-take. What I’ve been reacting to — and I’m willing to bet the same is true for V. and for Trish’s jogger — is the increasingly pervasive lack of such courtesy on the part of parents who we think should be setting better examples. (If I sound judgmental about it, that’s because I am.) And to tell the truth, there are also a lot of young adults walking and jogging in twos and threes who for some reason feel comfortable remaining abreast and forcing a lone pedestrian right off the sidewalk. It’s not just a stroller or a child-on-scooter phenomenon. I guess I feel like those supposed grown-ups are a lost cause, but there’s an opportunity to teach little ones some manner.
There, I yield the floor to whoever wants to call me intolerant and thereby have the last word.
Seems you save your strongest judgements for parents and children. Neither of which will ever be perfect.
Not like you to be thin-skinned, Chadly– but I have to agree with STG here. No one expects parents or children to be perfect, but no one’s asking you to shoot for perfection– just to use a little common courtesy & common sense, and then teach your kids how to do the same. How’s that being harsh, judgmental, or demonstrating an expectation of perfection?
I always get a chuckle when Decatur becomes Park Slope South. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/08/realestate/08cov.html?ref=realestate
Whenever these diatribes diverge into rants about kids and restaurants and sidewalks I wonder where you people are eating or walking. I always find MOST parents and kids to be respectful to others. (Cuba, as you assume ‘anniefannie’ to be. Again, as a parent, I’m biased but there’s more Annies than Nannies.) Yet I come here and read the most judgmental drivel. (Nonparents asking what age is too old for a child to ride in a stroller. Is it really anyone’s business?)
Does anyone recall if Floyd the barber ever complained to Sheriff Taylor about Opie’s unruly sidewalk behavior?
This thread did not diverge into a rant about kids and sidewalks, that’s where it started. I’m willing to concede that most people and their children and their pets are reasonably well behaved. But the minority who are not have attained critical mass so it’s likely as not a simple walk around the block will involve getting muscled off the sidewalk at least once. It’s not pleasant and as I said before, I don’t think it’s the kind of community we want to be, or claim to be.
I always find it interesting that the slightest comment about kid deportment puts so many parents completely on the defensive and the accusations of “judgmental” and “intolerant” start flying thick and fast.
If Floyd did ever complain about Opie’s behavior, on the sidewalk or otherwise, I’m quite sure that (1) Sheriff Taylor didn’t accuse Floyd of being judgmental or intolerant, (2) checked for himself, and if Opie needed correcting, did so complete with a nice little talk about why.
If a minority reaches critical mass is it still a minority?
If it is a real minority as you concede, why not speak to these few on your neighborhood sidewalk? Seems more Mayberrish than tsk-tsking anonymously. That’s what Aunt bee woulda done.
Chadly, you really are overreacting to this. There’s been so much more critical commentary about the parent/child thing on this blog, and this particular discussion is the one to stick in your craw? C’mon! I always wonder why parents get their knickers in such a twist about these discussions– after all, if they don’t apply to you & your kids, then why so tetchy? (You do have a point about the query vis-a-vis older kids in strollers– which is why I think so very few of us responded to that original comment.)
Now, in the immortal words of Nelliebelle, let’s all hold hands & sing!
What makes you think I haven’t said something directly? Note, though, the jogger who did say something to Trish has been roundly castigated here.
By the way, I disagree that Aunt Bea would necessarily have addressed the issue head-on. More likely, her innate aversion to any kind of open conflict would have prevailed until the whole thing boiled over into some kind of crisis, which Barney would manage to exacerbate somehow, and which Andy would ultimately sort out to everybody’s relief and satisfaction. Where’s Sheriff Taylor when we need him?
Yes, a minority group can reach critical mass and remain in the minority. One thing has nothing to do with the other. Look it up.
Well, that’s not accurate.
I don’t think we really disagree here. Sadly much of this lack of courtesy extends far beyond the sidewalk, as evidenced by (for example) the utter disregard for others routinely shown by about 75% of shoppers at YDFM. Hey, let’s all 4 of us stop for a conversation right here in the middle of the aisle!
V. and smalltowngal – are you serious?
The elderly, handicapped, and children always have the right of way on sidewalks.
Able bodied teens and adults can figure out how to adjust to the situation. And joggers should be on the street anyway unless its a busy road like Scott Blvd.
C’mon grownups, use some common sense here.
Let it be known that we are dern lucky to have sidewalks. Too often, I see clueless parents in strollers hogging up the ROAD while hapless drivers have to navigate slowly around them. I am only too happy to pull offf the sidewalk to allow joggers, strollers, scotterers and their ilk (and tha’ts a nice ilk, not a bad ilk) to pass by as I meander and try not to break my mother’s back on the cracks!
Nothing is more irritating. But joggers and people out walking do it too. If there is an obstruction or no sidewalk, sure, use the road. But why do we have nice sidewalks if people are walking and running parallel to them? Walking five abreast down the middle of my nicely sidewalked street on your way to the Universal Joint is not cute.
I just had my most frustrating sidewalk incident yet. A house on East Lake drive (just inside Decatur limits) set their sprinklers to cover the sidewalk AND the part of the road closest to the sidewalk, so we had to pull our toddler wagon right out into the center of East Lake Drive to avoid getting soaked!!!!!
I clap at my dog, not my child.
*Sigh*. No, kids don’t always obey commands. They’re kids. However, they can be taught general rules for different situations. They do it every day in schools (line up to go to the cafeteria, no talking during story time, etc), why not when they’re out playing or doing family activities too? We practice once or twice in the driveway before the ride to remind them of the “rules of the ride.” Then off we go. The kids think it’s a fun game and love practicing it. Along the lines of Simon Says or Mother May I.
And apparently my use of the term “dismount” is problematic. The rule is “two feet on the ground”. For scooters, yes, that means “dismounting”. For bikes, it’s more like straddling the bike. The “two feet on the ground” obviously prevents the bike/scooter from moving, which is the high order bit here.
And as for clapping, it was established because it’s a sound that carries a long way. Screaming or shouting seemed like a way to scare everyone around and implies an emergency that isn’t really there.
And to be clear, yes kids on bikes and scooters should be on the sidewalk. They’re not safe in traffic. No one is saying kids should stay off the sidewalk. However, teaching kids courtesy to those around them should apply regardless of whether they’re on foot or on a bike/scooter is a good, neighborly type of action. As STG points out, where’s the harm in teaching your kids to look out for the elderly or those on foot when they’re out and about?
I’ve got a great idea! Put shock collars on your kids and if they don’t move out of the way fast enough, give them a good jolt. That’ll teach em.
Seriously though I try to teach my kids to watch for pedestrians and stay on the right side. With the amount of foot traffic in Decatur I think it is ridiculous to tell them to get off the sidewalk everytime the encounter a walker. We would never get anywhere. Why don’t we all try to show a little patience and consideration for each other?
“Why don’t we all try to show a little patience and consideration for each other?” AND “I’ve got a great idea! Put shock collars on your kids and if they don’t move out of the way fast enough, give them a good jolt. That’ll teach em.” in same post? Hmm.
Pretty sure V. is being reasonable – if you agree or not.
This response is exactly what is so frustrating. You can be reasonable and disagree. This type of snark icky though.
Seriously though implies that the statement before it is a joke. Snarky icky???
ok fine then i suppose i take it back. i just get so frustrated with folks not “listening” to what someone is (really) saying and moving so quickly to snark or how utterly “ridiculous” they are for bringing something up (snarky icky was some typo action but i chose not to fix on subsequent post).
You should treat your dog better than that.
So the other night was one of those “remember for a lifetime” events with my kids. They had never seen any Looney Tunes cartoons before, so we watched the Bugs Bunny and Road Runner movie (it was basically just a compilation of several of the original cartoons).
Anyway, my favorite has always been the Road Runner, and we watched Wile E. Coyote try to catch the Road Runner. It was so fun for me to see it again after so many years, and for my boys to see it for the first time. The three of us were laughing like complete idiots, and having the greatest time ever. I now wake up my six year old in the morning by saying “meep meep!”
I ADORE Roadrunner! Plus I lived in New Mexico for awhile and occasionally got a glimpse of real roadrunners. Beep, beep! Have to get this for family.
Embarrassing fact: Everyone in my family adores old Three Stooges cartoons. I think they are bad, stereotyped slapstick but the intellectuals in my family will watch the same Stooges DVD over and over again, laughing hysterically, on the floor, hours of pleasure.
P.S.: You do realize that Roadrunner is anti-establishment and Wyle E. Coyote is a Republican? Could never figure out why my totally Republican parents ended up with 3 liberal children and one libertarian/anarchist. But I’m wondering if it’s because we watched reruns of things like Roadrunner, Rocky and Bullwinkle, and Yogi Bear.
Never really stopped to ponder (or care about) the political implications. I just like what I like.
See, I always thought the Coyote symbolized the state trying to concoct complicated, yet ultimately futile, schemes to get a chic….er roadrunner… in every pot. It’s his blind faith in the technocratic efficacy of the ACME (Always Communist Methods Employed) nationalized corporation that gets him into trouble.
The roadrunner is simply the rugged individualist making his way through the world on wits and pluck.
On the subject of political ambiguity, this quiz was put out this week by the Pew Center. There are worse ways to fritter away six minutes on the internet:
http://people-press.org/typology/quiz/
This IS fun. It’s the sociopolitical equivalent of Myers-Briggs testing. Based on my responses, I am a… Solid Liberal along with 14% of the public. Surprise! And I fit the profile of lifestyle pretty well except that I live in the wrong place and don’t eat enough organic food.
Me, too, Karass! (Think it’s fun, scored as a Solid Liberal, match the profile except on geography and organic food.) And yet, you and I often differ substantially about specific local issues. Gee, I wonder if it has something to do with how cluster analysis works, and how even within a so-called similar group, there will be huge variation. Kind of like the mythical blue-red dichotomy.
Me three!
Solid liberal here, too.
Hmm…I’m a “Post-Modern” (13% of the public); interesting, because I mostly don’t fit the demographic profile that the site says typifies this segment. Oh well!
Looks like the cool kids are the Post-Moderns! I don’t quite fit the demographic either but I think it’s somehow skewed to include liberal leaning lawyers…
And yes, Liberal Leaning Lawyers would make a great band name. Definitely emo-ish…
Once again, a confirmed Libertarian. Nice to know I am what I’ve been thinking I was…
Hmmm. Guess it’s time to change my name. I fall into the solidly Libertarian camp. I’m cool with that.
Well, if you do change it, you gotta leave “Token” in there somewhere…we gotta know you’re still our own original Token somehow!
Change it to Tokin’
Libertarians always seemed almost as much to the left as to the right to me. While they are just one step from tea party conservatives in one direction of the political spedtrum, they are just one step from anarchists in the other direction, which are just one step from radicals, which are just one step from liberals….
I’m sure you understand what you’re talking about, but I sure as hell don’t.
How did we get from the Road Runner to this?
If you keep watching Roadrunner, you’ll see! Meep, meep!
When my brother had his first son, he didn’t allow him to watch anything that my brother didn’t watch as a child until my nephew was about 6. This meant he was immersed in Sid and Marty Kroft shows and Looney Tunes growing up which I thought was pretty neat. I would have liked to have seen a little Clyde Frog thrown in for good measure, but those videos are hard to find.
This may be a monthly feature by now, and I realize I should have taken notes the last time around–figured I could always search the dm archives, but haven’t been able to turn up the previous threads. Anyway, I need a dentist — routine adult care, nothing fancy, gentle hygienist, reasonable fees. If you like your Decatur dentist, please give a shout. Thanks!
Marvin Winter–wonderful person, wonderful staff, right in walkable Downtown Decatur (Fidelity Bank building), and used by many dentists for their own care.
+1
Dr. Mark Hastings!
http://www.decaturmetro.com/category/free-for-all-friday/
I LOVE my dentist–Dr. Elise Ashpole on McConnell (near Toco Hills library). PN 4.325.5440. My kids also go to her. See if you can get Jennifer as your hygenist–she rocks!
I agree – Elise Ashpole rocks. Because she doesn’t do endodontry (what a word!), she recommended Jeffery Pafford for root canal work. He rocks, as well.
Thank you! (And I consider these endorsements especially valuable, since only those who are truly passionate about their dentists would answer this question for the umpteenth time.)
So, what’s going on at the school calendar meetings? I keep hearing that we need to “speak up.” What’s the deal?
Not much according to inside moles on the Committee and associated focus groups.
School system promised an evaluation of the first year of the new “balanced” calendar. (What makes it “balanced” is unclear to me; it’s seems off-kilter compared to other school calendars and the work world). So now the evaluation needs to happen. There IS one question on the Parent Portal survey so all interested parents should find that survey which is a few layers of clicks into the Parent Portal. Unfortunately, many elementary school parents rarely access the Portal, if ever, because it doesn’t hold a lot of data for their students so I’m not sure what the response rate will be. Hopefully the Calendar Committee members are aware that one survey question does not constitute an adequate evaluation.
You have inside moles? A cat can fix that
A cat who understands and accepts her responsibilities, maybe. Mine is strictly catch-and-release — catch outside and release inside. (I’m very good at capturing chipmunks and mice. Squirrels are tougher — for some reason I always feel they might turn on me, and they tend to scream, it’s very nerve-racking.)
On a serious note, did I notice that these week long breaks actually occur the weeks after major federal Monday holidays? Like the February holiday and September holiday were actually AFTER Presidents and Labor days, thus requiring extra time off for parents ?
I noticed that too and it is not at all sweetening the lingering sour taste I got from the whole on-again-off-again Pre-K lottery situation. It seems designed for maximum parental inconvenience..
The one thing I would like to see changed in the school calendar would be to kill the February break and add back a week in the summer. The kids don’t need it since it is so close to the winter holidays, the weather is crummy, and there isn’t much to do around town.
True dat.
And I really don’t get the Septemeber vacation….It weems like they just get back to school and they get a week off…I’d add that week to the summer break too…
Speaking solely for myself, don’t mess with September beach week. Summer weather, Fall prices. My favorite part of the new calendar.
I agree – September break is a great time to go on vacation. I’ve already got mine planned!
It would be a few years if the calendar were to change again since they’ve already approved the next few years. Well, never say never, but I doubt the calendar will change for next year. Even the senior administrators have probably set their vacation schedules already.
Would you guys sign my imaginary petition to eliminate the summer break?
The NRA will give up its guns before the Serial Moms will give up summer break!
OK, please tell me what the heck “serial moms” are.
It’s from the movie, Serial Mom. It means moms who are very, very, very serious about certain domestic items and you do NOT want to mess with them. In the movie, it was wearing white after Labor Day. In Decatur, it’s summer break, neighborhood schools, the gifted program, and wearing Christmas sweaters after January 1.
Why do they care about summer break?
Some folks have invested a lot in the Decatur summer lifestyle–pool memberships, swim teams, cabins, free range play etc. I’m not knocking it. I have liked our part in it too, once I got over the shock of having to develop a spreadsheet every summer to track all the kids, camps, and babysitter add-ons along with our work schedules. But you are right that the research suggests that 9-10 week interruptions in instruction is not ideal for cumulative acquisition and assimilation, solidification of knowledge and skills. Especially not for students who need extra or individualized instructional support. Actually, not for most students, except those few with special intellectual curiousity and discipline who could teach themselves anything, anywhere, anyhow, anytime.
Great movie!
Maybe. What’s the case in favor?
Well, I read about it in Gladwells’ Outliers first, but then when people here started complaining about the bell schedules and the length of the school day, I began to get a bit annoyed because it seemed like people are willing to only cry “studies show…!” when it fits their argument.
If we’re all about “studies show…” we should take a long hard look at what studies show about summer vacation. Basically it has no redeeming value, according to “studies”.
Here’s a convenient Atlantic blurb on it. http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2009/06/why-we-should-get-rid-of-summer-vacation/18902/
Here’s what I’ll highlight for now…
“One issue that doesn’t come up enough in discussions of extending the school year is that doing so is also, fundamentally, an issue of economic fairness. If you believe in equality of opportunity, then one of the most important things the state can do is provide some baseline level of education that seeks to alleviate vast differences of class. But, small though it may seem, one of the most profound ways in which class differences express themselves is over the summer vacation.
This is because wealthy parents can afford to given their children all sorts of edifying summer experiences that downscale parents cannot. And this, as researchers at Johns Hopkins have found, leads to backsliding: Educational advancement across classes tends to be fairly even during the school year. But downscale students actually decline in educational achievement over the course of the summer, while upscale students remain relatively stable. “
I’m not implicating myself or anyone I know but there just might be, so I hear, even some upscale parents around Decatur who have seen the evidence and find summer break less than an ideal arrangement for learning and family schedules. But if asked in any public Decatur setting, I will deny any knowledge of such information.
I’m not understanding your hesitancy, so obviously there’s a militant faction of moms out there that I haven’t been accosted by yet. Are they the one’s who’s kids are pushing over STG on the sidewalk?
Regardless, I don’t know why anyone would be afraid to bring this up. More often than not, everyone in this dang city wants to look as pragmatic as possible when publicly discussing the school system. It doesn’t matter what side you’re on, for the most part, no one really just yells “SHUT UP! I’M RIGHT SCHOOL BOARD!” They bring their reams of evidence with them to the meeting and spout it off in the public comment section.
Just writing that paragraph makes me feel a little naive. But ultimately, I prefer stepping on toes unknowingly than not ever stepping on ANY toes!
Much as I wish the world would remain a shrine to my own childhood experiences (including summer vacation from Memorial Day to Labor Day), that’s a pretty darned strong argument for seriously considering it. I’m in. (Of course, there are those who would say that as a grumpy non-parent, my signature doesn’t count.
DM, you cite a magazine article with anecdotal evidence about the achievement of various countries. School calendars could have something to do with it, but cultural norms, demographic homogeneity and any other number of factors likely contribute to the success of places like Japan and Finland. The “study” cited by this article is funded by a group whose mission is to promote school a year around.
Here’s an article summarizing a more objective study done a few years ago by Ohio State that shows only fleeting and insignificant gains with the elimination of summer break. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070811151449.htm
Also, performance on standardized tests is not the only thing that we are looking for is it? What about creativity, critical thinking, resourcefulness, etc.? I have had kids in CSD for many, many years, and with all due respect, public schools, no matter how well regarded, are not good at teaching these sorts of skills.
Finally, where does the money come from to extend the school year, and why extend it for children and families who do not want or need the extension? DM, could you live with a scenario where summer studies were provided (and paid for at taxpayer expense) only for kids with either an identified need or for families who truly desire a longer school year for enrichment, etc.? To me this seems like the win/win solution to the summer vacation dilemma.
Wait, why is your study less biased than my study?
Just because the Atlantic linked to a website that both advocated for and housed the anti-summer break study? It’s a John Hopkins study. Is John Hopkins more biased about summer education than Ohio State?
Your study uses results of two groups of totally different schools to back up its findings. (Which allows me to make the same argument you made above about schools in other countries and the other variables that could be affecting performance). The John Hopkins study looks at the same kids through primary school, their income bracket and how they perform on tests before and after extended breaks. That to me seems a better gauge than a random selection of year-round and summer-break schools.
Here’s a working link to the JHU study: http://asr.sagepub.com/content/72/2/167.abstract
The Ohio State study showed that while more was lost on a longer break, the same amount was lost over the aggregate of the shorter breaks. So, over the space of a school year, the same learning loss occurs regardless of how you space the breaks.
Now if you are talking about extending the year.. that’s probably another story. However, like I said, I think a school year extension should be provided for kids who need it and/or families who want it. Families who neither need or want it should be able to continue with summer break. That saves taxpayer money and allows for flexibility depending on family situations.
We can both find articles and studies to support our views or any views on pretty much anything… so, how about just allowing for differences and free choice. You send your kids to the regular school session and then a supplemental summer session where they get remediation or extended learning depending on what they need. I choose not to, and so my family does not use the summer session. We are both happy, and both of our children thrive. Taxpayers are not forced to pay for my kids when neither I nor they want or need a summer spent in school. Can you live with that solution?
That week may be great for vacation deals, but I still don’t understand why we need a break one month after school starts. It’s hard enough to get back into routines. Give me a longer summer……
we’re snowboarders, so we really enjoyed the February break.
september break=best part of new calendar
+1
https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=194079303969946
The Feb week is my ski week. It’s got peek conditions at off rate prices. Go to Wolf Ridge, north of Asheville, and see if your the whole family’s attitude properly adjusted.
Nothing to do, except skiing, if you are into that. And we are! Sorry…I like both of those breaks. Beaches and mountains are all less crowded than during summer & holiday breaks. And cheaper, too.
+1. Disney works too.
That’s all fine and good for parents with flexible work schedules and lots of extra money on hand for Disney/ski/beach vacations several times a year. Not everyone is so fortunate though.
I think the point is that certain aspects of the school calendar work well for some people and not for others. There is not, and will never be, a calendar that pleases and serves everyone equally. I accept parts of the calendar I don’t much care for because there are other parts — like the September break — I appreciate greatly. Eventually, some other school thing will come around that benefits others and not me and that’ll be fine with me.
The calendar committee is meeting next week to put together a calendar for 2013 and beyond. Right now they are supposedly committed to the calendar as approved for 2010, 11, and 12. It appears that the administration is trying to push through the same calendar for the following years. If you want to see some evaluation of the calendar so far, please contact your board member or an administrative member and ask what that evaluation is going to look like and when it’s going to be done.
DM or others with an encyclopedic memory: Can anyone link to any previous FFAF where housepainter referrals were discussed? Thanks!
I believe there was a (very?) brief discussion last week . . .
Here’s one.
http://www.decaturmetro.com/2010/12/03/free-for-all-friday-12310/#comment-76293
Clap. Clap clap.
Are you signaling to your children that it’s time to dismount?
Anyone know of any good yard sales happening this weekend? I am in desperate need of a (relatively inexpensive) chest of drawers.
Why yes, I do:-). Rosewalk (off of Adair St.) is having its annual neighborhood yard sale this weekend. While we don’t have any chest of drawers for sale at my house, we’ll have some other great junk … er … quality merchandise:-).
Springdale Heights neighborhhood yard sale (off of Sycamore) – Bridlewood Circle and Pineview (starts at 7am)
Also a neighborhood yard sale in Ashwood, off Katie Kerr.
(Who was Katie Kerr anyway?)
I have a pretty good porcelain pedestal sink (circa 1928) and a pretty ugly castiron radiator that need new homes. Any ideas? I can leave them on the curb, but it seems so heartless after years of good service in my bungalow….
We are in need of a replacement pedestal sink. Maybe the moderator can share my email address with you?
Throw them up on freecycledecatur (freecycledecatur@yahoogroups.com). You have to join and be approved, which can take a day. But whoever wants your item will come and get it at a mutually convenient time. And who knows, somebody might have something that you want.
Any ideas on why the news choppers are hovering over the Emory/CDC area?
There’s an apartment fire behind Toco Hills.
Not Decatur specific, but could be useful…
This week I found an injured baby bird who was in pretty bad shape but still alive. Was instructed to call this place, AWARE, and they said to put it in a box and bring it to them, which I did. It was only about 20 minutes away in Lithonia. It’s a wild animal rescue place and they are completely staffed by volunteers, and run on donations.
These people are just so so wonderful. They give tours for the kids as they are nursing many animals back to health, and it’s right next to beautiful walking paths by Arabia Mtn. If you’re looking for something interesting to do, keep these people in mind. I was completely icked out by the MASSIVE blind possum they keep in their office, but I bet small kids would think it was pretty cool. They have hawks and other wild neatness there also.
They helped save Hooty!
http://www.decaturmetro.com/2009/09/25/hootys-rehab-continues-outlook-good/
AWARE also has a partnership with For Pet’s Sake on North Druid Hills, if you can’t or don’t want to drive all the way to their facility. You can drop animals off there. Just remember that it’s normal for baby birds to be on the ground for a while!
A few weeks ago, I got my first moving violation ever, for running a red light. On my bike. I’m glad I live in a city that both cares enough and can devote resources to ticketing cyclists (just so y’all don’t think I’m a COMPLETE ass, I had come to a complete stop and there were no cars coming).
What this post is really about is the process of going to Decatur traffic court (Municipal Court).
First of all, finding the place is a challenge. The city Web site has a page for municipal court, but no address is listed. I only found it by accident when I went into the police station to ask for directions. IT IS IN THE SAME BUILDING.
Once in, everything was cool. The judge was very polite and informative, explaining in clear terms not only what our rights are, but the meanings and consequences of the pleas. We were told that if anyone pled not guilty, the trial would take place that morning! Bring a pen–you have to fill out a form, and there are no pens there.
I found him to be fair. He gave every defendant a chance to speak, and he listened attentively.
The fine payment process needs work. If you pay with plastic, you must use the online system, which tacks on a hefty fee.
Summary: City of Decatur, please put an address and directions on the official site. Update and expand the information on fines as it is incomplete. Let folks know what they need to bring and let them know about the credit card fees. Overall, the City’s system worked well for me. I’ve worked on many trials, and that little courtroom is just about the most civil I’ve ever been in.
T
I was there recently as well — agree 100% on the payment by credit card issue. How hard would it really be for them to have a CC swipe machine? Also have to agree that the judge on duty that day and the city solicitor were very fair and attentive fellows. And I say that as someone who was very PO’d about my ticket and came ready to try my case, with color photo exhibits and all.
But I have to disagree with you on one thing: giving a cyclist a ticket for going through a light after stopping is ridiculous in every respect but one: the city’s desire to raise revenue through traffic citations.
“giving a cyclist a ticket for going through a light after stopping is ridiculous in every respect but one: the city’s desire to raise revenue through traffic citations.”
____________________________________________
Agreed, but you can’t have it both ways. If we are to “Share the road”, we should all have to follow its rules.
And by that you mean that if I am at a red light, can see in both directions for hundreds of yards, and there are no cars in sight, I am to sit there until the light turns green? I’m all for staying out of drivers’ way, but I can’t imagine why I need to sit there and twiddle my thumbs rather than get on with my ride.
And you are different from me when I’m in a car? How? If I look both ways and then run the light I get a ticket.I’m just trying to get on with my ride as well.
I agree except when the lights are sensitive to the weight of the vehicle. Some lights won’t change for a cyclist or a scooter because the vehicle does not weigh enough to set the light to change.
Those sensors do not actually operate by feeling the weight of the vehicle. It has something to do with electro-magnetic currents. Moot point since I still don’t think a bicycle activates it, but fun trivia!
The pickup loops are supposed to be adjusted to sense the metal in a typical bicycle. This rarely happens in Dekalb controlled roads though.
Yup, they don’t all detect bikes — or even cars as we’ve previously noted a dozen times on this site.
I’m all for following the same rules but waiting 5, 10, 15 minutes for a car to come along and trigger the light is silly (and not all intersections have crosswalks so you cannot always hit the crosswalk button to change the light).
I’ve also run the light in my car near Fellini’s dozens of times b/c it has a glitch — no matter how many times over the years the county fixes it, the problem resurfaces. There is a crosswalk there so it’s fairly easy for people on bikes to roll over and push the crosswalk button, but it’s a pain in the you-know-what to park the car, get out, walk across the street, hit the button, get back to the car and go before the person behind you gets irritated.
I agree, and raise that with a “why is it that cyclists feel they can cut all the way to the front of the line at a red light? the cars have to take a risk by going around the cyclist meanwhile staying –what is it, 10 ft way?– just to have to take that risk AGAIN after the light turns green!”
is it too much to ask that cyclists line up in order behind the cars that were there first?
“cyclists feel they can cut all the way to the front of the line at a red light”
….because they specifically have that right according to the law.
If we didn’t, we would hold up the cars behind us who are trying to rush up to the light once it turns green then you would be cussing cyclists for that. Since ANY choice aggravates some drivers, I find it best to legally excersice my rights and let them take responsibility for how they feel.
It’s not too much to ask.
Work to get the law changed then. Until you do, you have an obligation to follow it, just like anyone else operating a vehicle.
word
Recently witnessed: Decatur PD car lurking on Second Ave near Oakhurst Presbyterian at beginning of PM rush hour; thought to myself as I walked by, Hope he’s after speeders and stop sign runners. A few minutes later as I approached the 4-way stop at E. Lake/Third, a bicycle blew through the intersection headed toward the village, going at least 25 mph and probably faster. Adult, no helmet, absolutely zooming. Seconds later, DPD whooped by and pulled him over about halfway to the village. By the time I caught up, the bicyclist was pedaling (somewhat despondently, it seemed to me) across the Big H parking lot with a piece of paper in his hand. I assume it was a citation. And I’d bet my own money that he had blown through the intersection at E. Lake/2nd as well. That’s a nice downhill run past the dog park.
Would people turning left onto E. Trininty out of the U shaped parking lot by the courthouse and Eddie’s Attic PLEASE yield to the people turning right from N. McDonough onto E. Trinity. You don’t have a green arrow, you have a green light. Or do they think that because they are leaving a parking lot they have the right of way.
Does anyone know what was happening last night on Superior Ave between Scott and N. Decatur. No less than 4 Decatur police cars with lights a-twirling at around 11:30pm . . .
My new catchphrase:
SHUT UP I’M RIGHT SCHOOL BOARD!
I especially like how you made it all one sentence!
Family friendly version: BequietpleaseI’mrightSchoolBoard!
It’s not as catchy as “Free Westchester!”
What if a cyclist at a red light popped their bike up onto the sidewalk, rode 50 feet down the street and then crossed? That’s more akin to jaywalking I guess and something a car can’t do but is there a ticketing violation there?
Regarding the jogger, she sounds like a jerk. I always step into the streets around kids and walking pedestrians when jogging on a sidewalk. Usually, like most runners, I’m in the street anyway. Cue angry drivers now to tell me what a jerk I am for getting in their way.
Yes, it’s “ticketable”.
It’s illegal for anyone over 10 to ride a bicycle on the sidewalk.
oops
make that anyone over 12
No fear exemption for road-scared adults? What if my bike is decorated with handlebar streamers? Seriously though, as long as I yield, why should I have to get into traffic? Too scary on Ponce/Scott!
To suggest a pedestrian should be on College Avenue during rush hour instead of on one half of its sidewalk sounds like the pontification of a jerk to me.
What it all boils down to is, first of all, everyone exercising common sense and common courtesy. After living in Boston for 20 years, I love living in a place where people are genuinely (usually) polite. Where that politeness usually fails is on the road, but if we all just assume that everyone else–be they driver, rider, runner, or pedestrian–is doing their best to be safe and courteous, we at least start from a place where there will be less injured feelings and bodies.
Next, we all need to be aware of the law. Going through a red light on a bicycle is against the law–bikes must follow the same rules as cars. It is even more important in Decatur that we adhere to these laws, because–like or not, childless folks–this city is designed for families, and there are lots of children here. It is not too much to ask that people obey the laws to set an example for them, and if I had to get a ticket to drive that point home, so be it.
The problems arise when someone thinks they are entitled to more speed/space/leeway than they are. I see this in runners who run on the left side of the paths, cyclists who ride side-by-side on the road, and drivers who don’t stop for crossing pedestrians.
Yes, I had a large group of cyclists do that to me the other day. I passed them once and when I was stopped at the light down the street they caught back up and zoomed up next to and in front of my car, forcing me to awkwardly pass them again when the light changed. I thought it was odd they wouldn’t stay behind me and in the line of traffic knowing my car would be travelling faster when we got the green signal.
I find that pulling way over to the right so your car is very close to the curb at stop lights prevents that behavior. I had a biker flip me off once for doing that though. I just waved.
I wouldn’t be antagonizing (the wave was nice) — never know when someone will get angry enough to smash a U-lock smashed into your windshield. If hit at the right place, the whole window will crack. The risk of triggering road rage just isn’t worth the pleasure gained from trying to change other the behavior of others. Not that I am not guilty of of slick maneuvers that made me feel great “teaching the other person a lesson” or just pissing them off
Again, would be GREAT if we could convince a site most people read (AJC maybe?) to publish a road/sidewalk rule once a day or week as a public service reminder to help keep the scooting kids, cycling nuts and crazy drivers from hurting one another!
Smash a U-lock smashed — I cannot type!
Deliberately blocking someone’s path is a criminal act.
Passing stopped or slowed cars on the right with your bicycle is a legal right.
TeeRuss is totally digging the ladder sculpture over at Freedom Park where the parkway hits Moreland. Way cool.
Agreed! I just saw it yesterday. Isn’t this brought to us by the same organization who brought Lima Lives! to Decatur?
Anyone know if the downed cyclist on Coventry is okay? I couldn’t tell exactly what happened, but after 6, 3 Decatur police cars flew past me down Coventry heading toward the RR tracks. I was forced to turn around (police had blocked the road). Firetrucks came next. I just saw a mangled bicycle. Please tell me the cyclist is okay. My husband is a bike commuter–I am perpetually terrified for cyclists.
I rolled up (on my bike) shortly after it happened. A passing driver stopped and was just calling for help and two ladies were comforting her on the ground. It looked to me that her new Fuji’s rear wheel popped out of the rear triangle when she hit that nasty speedbump at the bottom. The bike also hit a telephone pole about twenty feet downhill of the speedbump. I only hope she managed to clear the pole. Some large rocks on the road protecting a driveway curb were also disturbed. It was a fearsome crash. She was awake and very uncomfortable. I think she had some serious injuries. The helmet wasn’t broken so that is a good sign. I was up all night thinking about that poor lady. I hope she recovers.
Terrifying. I once rode down a huge hill when I was in college at University of Florida. I had to be going nearly 40 mph. At the bottom of the hill I pulled off and picked up my bike to park it in a rack. The front wheel just fell off (I had failed to tighten/close the quick release after reattaching it). Had I hit any sort of bump, I would have been a goner (helmet wearing wasn’t that common at the time). Thanks for the update. Relieved it wasn’t a car. Hope someone can post some good news about this cyclist soon.
Darn! Missed out on an opportunity to reduce the Gator population by one!
Oh well, better luck next time.
Love,
Your friend from the girl’s school in Tallahassee.
JK, obviously. Glad you made it through that one.
Hello! Can anyone recommend a dermatologist in the area? Many thanks!
See last week’s Free for All Friday (link above).
Oh, sorry, last time I looked there weren’t any replies
If anyone else has a suggestion though, I’d be happy to hear it !
dermatology assoc. of ga (clairemont & n. druid hills)…i’ve seen dr. mcalvaney and she’s great!
I also recommend dermatology assoc of ga. I’ve seen Dr.s Stonecipher and Mauldin. I was pleased with both.
Happy Mother’s Day Mrs. DM…and all you moms out there!
If I want to learn the history of my house from the 1930s, where is the best place to start? County registrar? Decatur Historical Society? Building department?
1) Do a title search at the Court House. Some more recent information could be had online.
2) Consult the archives at the DeKalb History Center. They have some of the original subdivision maps.
3) Talk to neighbors who have been in the area for a while, if there are any. For any that don’t have a long history in the neighborhood, see if they can tell you who sold them the house and try to find those people.
Searchable AJC archives are also great. I found an ad for our house from way back. Apparently our office off the living room was once considered a “breakfast room”. Who knew you could put a breakfast room anywhere in your house?
I’ll bet they were the kind of folks who ate eggs and pancakes for dinner, too!
Decatur is one of America’s 11 most walk-friendly cities
Just watch your sidewalk etiquette.
So the small kid wanted to feel what it’s like to fly, thinking that holding on to the garage door as it opens would do the trick. Not so much.
Can anyone recommend a good garage door repair service?
Woo, I found roommates!
…
Coed gamer twins!
It’s all downhill from here.