This is sorta old news – as Tomorrow’s News Today reported it the day we also reported that Johnny’s had closed – but Next Stop…Decatur’s got a picture of the “Rocket 88” sign hanging over the old Johnny’s location.

Tomorrow’s News Today reported back then that Rocket 88 would be operated by the wife of Johnny’s owner and “it will feature a variety of sandwiches in a casual cafe atmosphere.”

My wife and I noticed these new bike sharrows (share + arrows) all the way up Ponce de Leon Ave in downtown Decatur yesterday morning.  Dave says in a FFAF comment that he saw them being painted early Saturday morning.

Sharrows generally indicate that bikes may use the full lane where marked.

Past…

Present…

Ain’t that a sweet overhang!

Also, the entire interior has been gutted.  Currently it’s just a huge open space.  Not sure if there’s a tenant yet though, as there’s still a For Lease sign on the front exterior.  Lookin’ good, nonetheless!

Lovely.  Patch reports…

Traps in Decatur and other parts of DeKalb County captured 74 collections of mosquitoes that tested positive for West Nile Virus through Friday, a big increase over the number found with the virus last year, according to data from the DeKalb County Board of Health.

The Board of Health has not reported any new cases of people who have contracted West Nile Virus in Decatur or Avondale Estates, but the board said a 79-year-old in Tucker has been infected.

DHS Teacher Chris Billingsley writes in…

Your readers may be interested in knowing that detention hall, a DHS tradition for many years, has returned after a brief hiatus. The rules are pretty simple: Sign in, sit down, be quiet, act properly, do something constructive and you will be dismissed after 30 minutes. [Above] is what one of our students did to be released early.

I guess some things never change. Enjoy!

It used to be a familiar sight around the neighborhood: Amanda with a fistful of leashes attached to a pack of happily trotting pups; Amanda on her scooter pulling up to a house with a pocketful of doggie treats, greeted by a joyful barking of “She’s here! She’s here!”; Amanda sitting on a front step with a contented, purring kitty velcroed to her lap.

Then one day last year, as my next-door neighbors and I were both planning to be out of town at the same time, we were surprised, then dismayed, then completely delighted when Amanda told us that she wouldn’t be in the pet-sitting biz any more (What!?). The reason was that she had just signed a major three-book contract with Random House (What!?!?).

One day she’s our favorite neighborhood pet-sitter, the next she’s a publishing rockstar. It was a goosebump moment.

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