Free-For-All Friday 9/30/11
Decatur Metro | September 30, 2011 | 7:00 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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Ran across this yesterday:
Keep DeKalb Beautiful is taking up products that contain potentially dangerous chemicals and are no longer in use. You are welcome to drop off anything that should not be disposed of in regular trash because of its potentially harmful effects on the environment.
Date: October 1st
Time: 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Location: Sanitation Division, 3720 Leroy Scott Drive, Decatur, GA 30032
Cost: FREE!
Thanks!
That’s going on the to-do list
As the new owner of a house who inherited about 10 gallon cans of miscellaneous paint found under the stairs, this is great timing. And best of all — there’s no need to add kitty litter or the like to any paint cans — just bring ’em as they are.
I was wondering if anyone recalls this: I attended the TIA public meeting in Decatur on Wednesday night, and the lady who represents the Clifton Corridor Assoc. (I forget the exact name) mentioned the four hour traffic tie-up that occurred when CDC had to evacuate on 9-11. This was before I moved back to Decatur and I don’t remember hearing about it. Was it really that bad?
What establishments in Decatur will be affected by the Sunday-alcohol-sales vote on Nov. 8? I can think of Sherlock’s, the Little Kroger, and I guess convenience stores. Are there any liquor stores inside the city limits?
Nope.
Related question – will the Sunday alcohol sales ordinance change include anything about the time restrictions that restaurants and bars currently have for serving alcohol on Sundays? I think it’s Noon or 12:30 right now. It would be nice to get that restriction lifted.
This is very important for planning some Falcons tailgate options, so any info on the Atlanta vote is welcome as well.
I hope the Sunday alchohol service does get changed. It is really annoying to have to wait until 12:30 to go out for lunch or brunch on Sunday. I hate it when I forget and have to sit there for half an hour before they can bring over my cocktail. I haven’t heard any mention of a time change, though, in connection with the Sunday retail sales vote.
Anyone remember the 1998 season NFC Championship game against the Vikings? My friends and I got to 3 Dollar Cafe at 9:30 AM to grab a table for the 1 PM game. We sat there in that Godforsaken place for 3 Hours drinking STUpid iced tea due to Georgia’s UNBELIEVABLE SUNDAY ALCOHOL LAWS…..ahem. Pardon me.
I don’t think I’ll ever get over Nacho Grande.
But what a great game that was.
That’s crazy. I was there as well. People, in my section at least, were dumping the beer they had waited so long for all over each other at the end.
It could have been worse. You could have been at the ESPNZone…
Ale Yeah will likely be impacted as well if they can be open on Sunday
Oakhurst Market sells wine and beer, too.
I was always under the assumption that liquor stores were prohibited the City of Decatur (beer/wine is fine obviously), but I cannot find anything in the code that specifically prohibits it. In fact there is an entire chapter on the licensing of the sale of distilled spirits.
http://search.municode.com/html/12110/level3/PTIIICOOR_CH6ALBE_ARTIIIDISP.html
It’s based on the revenue received for the business. A certain percentage must come from food and a certain percentage must from beer/wine.
That code subsection (Section 6-57) appears to only apply to beer and wine sales:
“No beer or malt beverages [or wine] shall be sold at retail in original packages for off-premises consumption except in retail establishments in which at least 50 percent of the floor space and storage area is dedicated to the retail sale of food and food related products such as cooking utensils and equipment and which are located in C-1, C-2 or C-3 zoning districts, in an existing food store that exists as a lawful nonconforming use under the zoning regulations.”
The sections on the sale of distilled spirits (Sections 6-81 through 6-90) make no mention of any certain percentage of floor space dedicated to the sale of food or food products.
So, I’ve got a couple of questions:
Could a liquor store operate in the City of Decatur without regard to the 50% floor space requirements if it did not sell beer or wine?
How in the world does Ale Yeah meet the 50% food/food products requirement set forth in the code?
Did you insert the “[or wine]” or is it in the Code, because wine is not a malt beverage.
Wine is covered in the code in a paragraph just below the one that covers beer and malt beverages and uses the exact same language. Thus, I just inserted the [and wine] to consolidate so I didn’t have to copy both paragraphs.
Ale Yeah
Epic neighborhood-wide garage sale this Sat. October 1. 9am-3pm
Includes 67 households in the Medlock Park and Clairmont Heights neighborhoods, with a trunk sale at the parking lot of the North Decatur Presbyterian Church (611 Medlock Road).
For your treasure hunt map, visit http://www.medlockpark.org/2011/09/mana-chca-yard-sale-upgraded-to-epic.html
Is that intentional by the city or has the private sector simply failed to fill that niche?
Stupidest thing I did this week:
Purchased a $23 bottle of special shampoo from the vet for our dog. To help the dog into our car and put his new bag of food on the backseat, I put the shampoo bottle on the ground in the parking lot. I then got into the car and proceeded to back over the shampoo bottle, spraying it everywhere.
Did the parking lot develop a soft glossy coat?
I know this shouldn’t be funny, but I actually laughed aloud when I read it. Sorry to have a merry moment at your expense, DM, but you had to know at least some of us would find it comical!
Oh, I hope everyone finds it comical!
Any reviews of the YMCA on Clairmont? Are the classes generally (I’m sure it can vary based on the class, but generally . . .) empty, packed, or just right?
I’ve been wondering this same thing! Our family has been looking at joining. I did have to laugh a little at the website yesterday; it now says that membership start-up fees have been reduced – they’ve gone from $100 to $99. Chuckle. Still, I would love a great review on this place and really look forward to going.
Can’t speak to the classes, but we love the Y!! Great people, nice facility
The Y is great! The East Lake location over on Memorial is wonderful too.
For us, the family membership was useful when the kids were young and taking lots of baby, toddler, pre-school swim, and gymnastics classes and/or playing on a little kid sports team, and I was doing adult stuff plus occasionally using the child care. Then dropped the family membership and had a single membership since I was the only one regularly using the Y. The family membership became useful again when the children wanted to start using the exercise equipment and open gym and occasional big kid teams. I like this Y, especially the towel service. Occasionally the seniors get a bit too adamant about little ones in the adult locker room and some of the staff are a bit bureaucratic. But many staff and instructors are wonderful. You cannot leave your purse or other valuables in the parking lot, especially around the winter holidays. The East Lake Y is also nice and has more convenient family swim hours, which one to use depends on what you want and where in Decatur you live.
+1 on the East Lake Family Y. I know plenty of people who frequent both.
Can’t speak to the classes but the Mrs. seems to like the variety and timing and hasn’t seemed to have a problem with overcrowding. I use the exercise bikes, weight machines and the free weights downstairs and love it. My only complaint is that I really can’t shower there. Yes, there’s a locker room and they have showers but one case of athlete’s foot (feet?) within a week of joining was enough for me. That, and the naked, droopy old men who lounge around the locker room completely naked pretty much freaks me out. Fortunately for me, we just moved into our new house which is less than a mile from the Y so I just incorporate a run to and from the gym into my workout and then shower at home. This also eliminates the theft from vehicle problem as well…
Don’t worry, women’s locker room is no where near so scary! It doesn’t have Q-tips and cotton balls like the Athletic Club or a spa but it is clean, comfortable, has hair dryers and clean towels. I often see friends and colleagues there and few are droopier than me!
J_T, we’re also moving very close to the Y, less than a mile. Closing is end of October. Maybe we’ll see you at the Y.
Welcome to the neighborhood! We closed on our place at the end of July and moved into it in the middle of August. Loving being back in Decatur after a year and a half OTP exile. I’m sure that you’ll love the neighborhood as much as we do.
You MAY see me at the Y, and really I’m trying to get a lot better about working out again, but unfortunately that sometimes gets hampered by the fact that yourare more likely to see me at Big Tex or Trackside…
Thanks, all! That’s just the kind of feedback I was looking for.
Oh, I LOVED the YMCA when I was there. The classes get crowded in January, but by the end of the month, they’re back down. There are a lot of older members, so you don’t have to feel out of place. I now belong to Core Body, close to me, lots of classes. But it seems like more of a singles gym. I feel out of place there; the other students don’t really talk to me that much. I felt more at home at the YMCA, which has HOT TUBS!!!
Where are all the drive-thru coffee shops in the are? I used to think these were useless when I lived on the west coast and they are on every corner, but with a new baby in the car, I could really use more drive-thrus.
McDonald’s, on Commerce between Church and Clairmont.
Starbucks on North Druid HIlls Road in Toco Hills has a drive-thru.
As does the one on Briarcliff and LaVista .
I know what you mean, CE. When we lived on the West Coast, you couldn’t go 2 blocks without seeing an independent espresso stand – and they were great! I wish that trend would start here because they were usually cheaper than $tarbuck$ and most of them were better. We had one right outside of our neighborhood that would start my coffee drink when they saw me pull in and by the time I was up to the window it’d be ready for me to just grab and go. However, I will concede that the quality and variety of barbeque joints in this area just about makes up for the lack of drive-through lattes.
Is your other baby a Prius? I expect Decatur to restrict every drive-thru.
One of the earliest in the area: Caribou Coffee at Briarcliff and N. Druid Hills–right across from the Starbucks (which later was drawn by Caribou’s success to come in and compete.) I like Caribou better. I remember having little infants when driving there was a 2-fer-one: latte plus the long drive in carseat would put infant finally to sleep! Oh, I both miss those days and….don’t.
I wish Peets would come to Georgia. At least I can get their coffee in Publix. We used to get Peets by mail order 20 years ago when the only decent coffee was from Macy’s.
Macy’s?
When we moved here from NYC in 1988 Macy’s Cellar was one of the few places where you could get a bag of decent coffee beans.
I’ll join you on wish for fresh Peet’s coffee! Was so excited when I saw Peet’s bags in Publix. Now I am seeing them in a few Krogers as well.
Because it wouldn’t be a FFAF…
This past Monday around 1p I and my bud stopped in Taqueria del Sol. We had been in line just long enough to grab the menu and glance down, and this lady behind us said, “Hey, are those your bikes” and turned around to see a gold Sequoia pulling in, and backing out of the space next to the bike rack (like it was trying to maneuver out). The bike rack had been moved half a foot or so, and both of our bikes were on the ground. Walked outside as it was making a dash from the parking lot. Super nice waiter let us put our bikes up on the sidewalk on the outside area, and life went on.
A couple of people eating were like, wow, can you believe they just drove off? Our bikes were fine, so there wasn’t need for a fuss, but it was still a downer.
I do not have a grudge against SUV’s, but that thing is like 2 tanks rolled into 1. If you’re unable to see a bike rack with 2 bikes on it, there is no way you’re going to see a child on a big wheel. (I don’t believe for a second they didn’t feel it though)
Perhaps I’m showing my age when I say something like this, but I swear it seems like people are becoming increasingly self-centered and rude. There have always been nasty people around, but it seems like now they’re in the majority, not the minority.
I’m not completely blaming chemicals in the food and water but…
The SUV driver probably thinks “how dare you put your bikes in the way of my truck!” Seriously, though, it is possible that the driver did not feel it. Those things are designed to insulate the passegners from the rest of the world to the greatest degree possible. I know because I used to have a SUV and getting rid of it was like a breath of fresh air.
Unbelievable! I’m glad you and your bikes were okay!
“People” don’t change all that much. But their environments do.
Collectively, people change as their culture evolves (or devolves, as the case may be). Lots of complicated feedback loops between environment (especially if you include the portions of it that we construct and contrive ourselves) and our culture. Bottom line, I agree with Rebeccab that people are collectively getting more rude. Re. SUVs, there are many reasons to dislike (or despise) them categorically (reading suggestion: “High and Mighty: SUVs — The World’s Most Dangerous Vehicles and How They Got That Way”). Obviously, that doesn’t mean we SUV-haters also hate our friends and relatives who drive them (and some of us wish they wouldn’t get so defensive — you made a choice, own it.) The most frequent and non-political objection I have is that an incompetent driver in an SUV is capable (and likely) of doing more and worse damage than the same driver in a smaller vehicle. And I happen to also believe a greater proportion of licensed drivers are actually incompetent, than was the case a generation ago.
Rebeccab, glad your bikes weren’t destroyed.
Ok, the world just reminded me that you guys were right and theory is nothing compared to obnoxious SUV drivers.
Thanks STG. Perhaps people part of evolution, is devolving in honesty as part of survival or something of that nature.
True story:
Waiter friend locally here told me 4 people, nicely dressed (said they looked like college kids), came in and ran him ragged for hours in the process of dining on their appetizers, and entrees. He goes to get their deserts, and they all bolted. Out of 4 people, not 1 said, “hey, this is the wrong thing to do.” This was only a month or so ago.
Seems like being a jerk is becoming the rule, not the exception. Every time I see a picture of Snooki, I lose a little more hope for the future.
I can’t be the only one who thought this anecdote was going to turn into a TDS rant!
Doesn’t Eddie Hernandez drive a gold Sequoia?
I have joined that chorus before, so it’s only fair that I say on this visit, the cashier was friendly, and the waiter was really nice.
Something to chew 😉 on…
I have been to Saigon Cafe twice this week (LOVE LOVE LOVE their curry) but they are not super friendly (I’m not sure I have ever seen a waiter there crack a smile), they just get you your delicious food quickly. I never interpret that as rude or unfriendly. But when it happens other places, TDS for example, we get a little put-off by it. Hmmm…
“I swear it seems like people are becoming increasingly self-centered and rude”
sadly…i think the exact same thing on an almost daily basis.
Please blame it 100% on the driver and not the SUV. I drive an SUV and I’ve never ran into or hit anything. (knocks on wood!) – Seriously though, I’ve seen people do some crazy stuff on the road in the smallest cars, as well as, gigantic ones.
😀
I cannot for the life of me understand why people waste money on those things…I generally put them in my category of things I freely admit to being prejudiced about. Like saggy pants-wearers and rebel flag-flyers, I just assume SUV drivers are stupid and see no need to consider the matter any further.
That last comment was supposed to have a winky face at the end but it didn’t work for some reason.
I used to think the same thing. Now, I DON’T own a SUV. But when we were recently vehicle shopping, I discovered that SUV’s have the hauling capacity of a truck with the passenger capacity of a minivan. I liked that. I have too much family for a pickup truck, but that’s what I really want. So, for now, I haul stuff in the back of my minivan.
I’m looking for someone to come by twice a month and super-clean my townhome – does anyone have any suggestions or recommend someone/a service in the area? Thanks.
Check with Alana at Gitche Yah Yah on Hosea Williams in Kirkwood Station. I’ve heard good things about her cleaning service. 404-373-3099.
Reminder, deadline this Monday. Help get great Decatur teens recognized by nominating your favorite Decatur teen for the 20 Under 20 awards done by Intown Atlanta paper. Last year there were NO Decatur High teens on the list (and very few public HS kids in general). I wrote the publisher inquiring about it, and she said it is because they got very few nominations for public school kids. SOOOO– here is how you nominate all the great Decatur teens that are giving back to the community. Send an email containing:
Nominee: Full name, age, grade and school, contact info.
Nominator: Your full name, relationship to nominee, contact info.
Include a short paragraph about what the student has done to give back to the community.
Send by 10/3 to [email protected]
Has there been any discussion in Decatur about changing speed limits on residential streets (i.e., non-thoroughfares) to 20 MPH? There’s a nationwide effort underway to do this, since only 15% of pedestrians struck by vehicles moving at 20 MPH die, whereas at 40 MPH 85% die. Many residential Decatur streets — like Pharr St. — are zoned at 35!
I recall that you have brought the matter up several times without gaining much traction.
My attention to a person’s issue varies directly with the shutdown responses by other people.
35 mph is fine. Thank you.
My street is 25 and many people still drive too fast, so changing the limit may do little. People in these here parts are somewhat averse to wider mandates and I can’t say I disagree. Can you get a review of just your street if that is your main concern?
IIRC studies have shown that people drive a speed they deem to be comfortable and safe regardless of the posted limit, which would mean that reducing to 20 will likely have little impact. People will exceed the limit, just like they do now.
True, but I think part of that comfort level is related to the speed limit–people feel pretty safe driving 5 mph over a speed limit but less so as they surpass it by 10 mph. At least I do.
Speed bumps on residential roads that people tend to zoom down are pretty effective.
The Public Safety people are not big on speed humps, though, as it can slow their response time.
Speed humps are also terrible for gas mileage.
That’s interesting.
Do you have any sources for that information?
I agree that 20mph is the statistical knee of fatality for a car/pedestrian collision and that 20mph is much more appropriate maximum speed for residential streets than 35. Unfortunately, Georgia has long adopted restrictions on how municipalities can set and enforce speed limits leading to engrained speeding habits.
My thoughts are the speed limit signs are that they are inneffective compared to other traffic calming techniques. Narrowing the roadway, chicanes and reduced sightlines are much more effective at slowing down speeders and can be readily accomplished by street parking your vehicles on problem roads. If you want an art project for the kids, make a “slow down” sign for your yard. If you’re serious about slowing traffic down in front of your house. Get your and your neighbor’s cars out of the driveway and park them in the street.
If you’ve got offspring in grades 6-12 and want to kick them out of the house tomorrow afternoon … there’s a FREE Decatur Fitness Festival at the DHS Stadium, Sat. Oct. 1 from 2-5.
Rock climbing wall, bungee run, pedestal joust and a lot of games and snacks. Plus: Fitness demos on yoga, Nia, Zumba and boot camp.
The weather should be perfect. Spread the word!
Nia is a very cool movement form. (I don’t always show up for class every week, but I’m a humongous fan.) Black Belt instructor Sandy Bramlett offers it at several places, including the Decatur-DeKalb Y, the DeKalb Medical Wellness Center, and the Firefly Studio. Here’s the site: http://www.niaatlanta.com/index2.html.
My birthday is this weekend and I would like a good pizza (guess I’m a simple man). Any recommendations? I already like Mellow Mushroom but was hoping for something different. Anyone been to Sapori Di Napoli? Anything else? Would realy appreciate your thoughts.
Heard that Sapori is good but haven’t tried it. Avellino’s is another good choice.
The man who makes the pizza at Napoli is FROM Naples and gets his ingredients from there.
We’ve been to Sapori di Napoli twice since it opened, and were extremely impressed both times. A simply perfect pizza margherita, with the perfect sauce/cheese ratio, and really nice char on the crust. I hope these guys can stay in business, because they’re slightly off the main drag of downtown, and they don’t have a liquor license (yet).
I had a burger in Naples from a guy who was FROM Atlanta and it was terrible. Sapori was only so-so for me.
Urban Pie in Kirkwood.
Sapori is pretty good, but No.246 is much more of a special-occasion place!
I’ve heard good things and want to go sometime, but we’ve just recently moved here and don’t know any babysitters for our 4-year-old. So, anywhere we go needs to be kid-friendly. Unless anyone knows a good, reliable babysitter!
DEFINITELY wait until you get a babysitter to try 246, or else you’ll have someone like me staring daggers at ya 😉
But seriously, if you have the kid in tow, Sapori di Napoli would be perfect and if the weather is as forecast, you couldn’t do much better than some al fresco like we did there last weekend.
Speaking of eating there last week, I want to give a huge shout out to the staff, and one waitress in particular. Right after we sat down outside, a group which included 6 or 7 kids under the age of ten (I’m guessing) and a dog showed up. Not sure exactly how this happened, it could have been because the dog was not allowed on the patio but could sit at the table by the front door, but the adults stayed there and left the kids at the table next to us. As soon as the adults were out of earshot, the waitress came over and gave the kids a little speech to the effect of “OK, you guys are welcome to sit here without your parents but only if you follow my rules. There are other people here. You will not disturb them. If you do, you’re outta here!” As she left, the kids all looked at each other with a mixture of amusement and fear. But damn if they weren’t perfect angels the whole time!
We’re actually lucky that our son is pretty well-behaved in restaurants but I understand what you’re saying. Plus, if I’m going out to spend some real money on dinner, I want to relax and enjoy; not spend it being the Enforcer.
Savage in Avondale is great if you like fresh upscale ingredients and herbs. My favorite. I would describe it as grown up pizza since my kids prefer plain old cheese slices from Fellini’s. But if you are looking for something a little fancier than regular cheese or pepperoni that is not NY style, it is worth the drive.
How about the one in Little 5 Points? We’ve been meaning to get over to that area and spend some time.
Same owners, same menu (as far I could tell), same good food. I boycotted Savage for a few years after they started that stupid “No slices after 5:00” policy, but I guess I’ve mellowed in my old age and have forgiven them (mostly) for that.
This is a GREAT time of year to spend some time in Little 5. Brewhouse has an awesome patio for people watching (and all the English league soccer games on Saturday and Sunday morning if you’re into that kind of thing), Vortex has burgers that I’d put against any of those new fancy pants FarmFlipKillerYeah burgers, The Porter has some fine food and a great beer list and now there’s the new Wrecking Bar Brewpub that I haven’t even gotten to try yet. Don’t let the folks around here brainwash you into thinking that all the cool stuff is in the 30030!
Be careful with Savage. We ate there a year ago and later that night, I had a baby. (I’m kidding – well, sort of. Savage was my last meal before going into labor)
Damn, I’d just about put Vortex’s burgers out of my mind (I gave up red meat) and you had to go and remind me of what I’m missing.;)
Porter Beer Bar is excellent; I love the food, the beer selection and the staff. I’ve been more open to seeing unfamiliar bands at Variety Playhouse just to have an excuse to go to Porter.
Wrecking Bar is actually doable on MARTA (if you don’t mind the walk), for those who might take the name of the place too literally.
No problem! You can order practically all Vortex burgers with a veggie or black-bean patty. They don’t overcook the patties (as restaurants often do with non-meat burgers), and the topping combos are fantastic.
Hike Over to Antico in West Midtown. Totally worth the drive, and the atmosphere is so unique, perfect for a special occasion like a birthday. And you can BYOB, woohoo! All of the places mentioned are great, but none compete with Antico!
It’s not “in” Decatur, but we’ve always been partial to Avondale Pizza Cafe.
Thanks everyone!
My sweet teenage children took me there for my recent birthday. It was very good. Nutella dessert was wonderful — can’t wait to return, just for that. Pizza was pretty good, nicely done but didn’t like the spicy salame — will try another version next time. Great healthy salad. Entire meal was split three ways and we all enjoyed satisfying portions.
Happy Birthday to you.
I have heard from 3 reliable sources that fifth graders in CSD only received 1 of 3 or 2 of 3 of their needed textbooks at the beginning of the year. And here we are at the 8th week of school and it’s still only 2 of 3. Does anybody know if this has this been the case in previous years?
I don’t remember hearing about this happening before and I am a CSD complaint magnet.
Ask the School Leadership Team to put in on their agenda for discussion.
I didn’t realize they used textbooks anymore. Seems like they use computers and ipads for everything now.
On-line texts, which should not be confused with assistive technology, are good for independent work, not as good for classroom work or students still mastering reading or with special disabilities.
That depends on the specific disability. My sister would have done much better in school with a computer that could read to her. She struggles today at 37 with reading and writing but has an outstanding memory. She does well on tests when she hears the material, the test questions are read to her and she’s allowed to answer orally.
Yes, real honest to gosh textbooks which they need to complete their assignments. And when they don’t have it, they have to wait to finish their work. I’m surprised, Decatur. This doesn’t sound progressive. It sounds like an overburdened school system.
Join us Saturday in Oakhurst for the 1st ever Madison Ave. Soap Box Derby.
Details available at http://www.madisonavesoapboxderby.org/
Event schedule
12:00 participants & teams arrive, sign in & park
12:15 STAR judges begin on creative
12:45 T-shirt sales open ($12 for Youth/$15 for Adult)-cash only
… 12:45 Baked Goods table open- cash or check donations
1:00 emcee- race introduction & race begins (18 & up goes 1st)
1:45 race begins (7-17)
2:15 team racecourse shortens course
2:45 race begins (6 & under)
3:00 set up & serve hot foods (cash only)
3:15 race over & STAR judges determine winners
3:30 music begins (local Madison Ave Grassroots band)
3:45 all racers to winner’s circle for announcements
Was a SunTrust customer since the 80s (when they were SunBank) until they wanted to start charging me to use my debit card. Switched to my husband’s bank (BOA) and within a month of the switch heard they planned to charge the same fees (blood begins to boil). Thinking of both switching once more to Decatur First. We do most of our banking online and we refuse to pay any fees for banking. Can anyone speak to whether they like DF? The pros and cons? How’s the online banking? Debit carding? ATM access? General service? Thanks!
I just opened a bank account with Ally Bank – no ATM fees (anywhere) and no debit card fees, but no branches either…
It’s a new account so I have no big experience so far, just that it seems to be a no-frills, low/no fees account.
I’ve had an account with Ally for over a year and have been generally satisfied. I also like to have a checking account at a local branch if I ever need to deposit a check manually. I was using SunTrust until recently when I switched to Delta Community Credit Union where the old Wolf Camera was across the parking lot from CVS. I’d also recommend them if you’re looking to bank locally rather than online.
+1 on Delta Community
+2 and they do a good job with kids
We’ve been customers of DFB since the day they opened. I do a lot of online banking. Can’t speak to the debit card – don’t believe in them – but, since they have no ATMs of their own, they give you 10 free ATM withdrawals per month anywhere. Their service is personalized and very good. Only downside is that, if you want to do business face-to-face, they only have the main office and a teller window in the baby Kroger, but that one is open on Saturday. Talk to Ann Berg.
Don’t believe in debit cards? This morning I realized I only had 2 bucks in the wallet, not enough for coffee and a treat, but no worries, had my debit card. Of course, you may very well be more organized than I am. It’s just so handy to have.
My bank starts charging for debit card use this month, so I will go all credit card. I sort of prefer that anyway because of the greater consumer protection offered. I may go ahead and get a debit card from my credit union for those rare places that only take debit. I will also probably carry a little more cash than before.
Don’t believe in debit cards – believe in ATMs and cash. A big downside to debit cards is that there is no protection under the law for theft or fraud like there is for credit cards. Some banks offer such protection, but it their own and not covered by law.
Since that idea sounded about two decades old, I headed over to the FTC website and was surprised to see that you’re right. However, since most ATM cards today double as Visa and MasterCard credit cards, looks like the protection is the same as credit card: $50 limit.
Here’s the info:
If your ATM or debit card is lost or stolen, report it immediately because the amount you can be held responsible for depends on how quickly you report the loss.
* If you report the loss or theft within two business days of discovery, your losses are limited to $50.
* If you report the loss or theft after two business days, but within 60 days after the unauthorized electronic fund transfer appears on your statement, you could lose up to $500 of what the thief withdraws.
* If you wait more than 60 days to report the loss or theft, you could lose all the money that was taken from your account after the end of the 60 days.
Note: VISA and MasterCard voluntarily have agreed to limit consumers’ liability for unauthorized use of their debit cards in most instances to $50 per card, no matter how much time has elapsed since the discovery of the loss or theft of the card.
I have never had an ATM card that was anything but an ATM card. I have always requested and received a card that was ATM only with no debit card features.
Many Visa and Mastercards can be used at ATMs for cash advances, which are stupidly expensive.
One problem, however, is that the money is coming directly out of your checking account, rather than just on your credit card statement.
While, you may get it back if you report it on time, not without significant disruption.
@At Home – thanks!
@altmod – DF is the best in terms of General Service! Friendly, pro-active, helpful – I couldn’t say enough. They are not currently charging any fees for debit card use and you get 3 free withdrawals per month at any ATM. I can’t speak to their online banking, as I am a Luddite when it comes to that, but I’m sure someone here can. The new banking regs are the perfect excuse to “shop locally” in terms of banking, too!
It’s actually 10 free ATM withdrawals a month – just like Steve said. In fact, I think I’ll echo pretty much all of what Steve said. I have been *very* satisfied.
Thanks Steve, HoneyBee and Siv–I’ll do that!
Unless I’m mistaken, I think all you need is Direct Deposit and SunTrust waives the debit card fee.
New Scott–that all changes Nov 1. Direct Deposit isn’t enough. Keeping a min balance of around $3000 will allow you to waive the fee but I’m not willing to give up access to that much money to avoid a fee.
I will be very interested to see how many consumer checking customers abandon SunTrust by November. I’m shopping myself and expect to wind up at Decatur First or at a credit union. ST has been finding more and more ways to nickel-and-dime me in recent years, while their customer service has gone completely down the drain. If changing banks weren’t so disruptive, I would have bailed before now — certainly last year when they eliminated free checking on small business accounts (with very little advance notice). Wouldn’t be surprised if fee-free banking eventually goes away everywhere, but by cracky, if I’m gonna pay for service then I want service, not incompetence.
I’ll definitely be ditching my bank in Jan when they start. Yes, it’s a hassle to change banks, but every time I looked at that fee on a statement, I would feel like I was being taken advantage of.
Like you, with my bank it’s just an irritation that’s been simmering for a while, and this has brought it to a full boil.
No one has mentioned whether DF has free checking, but they absolutely sound worth investigating.
There’s a link in this piece to find out if you qualify for any credit unions, and another link re: shopping for a new bank based on your needs.
Question: Why Pay Bank Fees?
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/01/your-money/bank-fees-on-debit-cards-have-some-customers-looking-to-switch.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&hp
I can tell you that you almost certainly would qualify for Delta Community Credit Union, and as of now I don’t think they have plans to charge for debit cards.
DFB does have some free checking accounts but I don’t know the details.
BTW, the reg that decreases the swipe fees on debit cards only applies to mega-banks with over $10B in assets, so community and regional banks are not affected.
Some SunTrust accounts charge debit fees even with direct deposit. There are accounts that waive the fee with direct deposit, but they have minimum balance requirements. These fees are a result of a new regulation (effective 10/1) that caps the amount banks can charge merchants for debit card transactions.
There was an article in the New York Times about this very subject yesterday. I bet all the major banks are going to start charging fees for everything before it’s all over:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/30/business/banks-to-make-customers-pay-debit-card-fee.html
I am a very satisfied Fidelity Bank customer. I don’t get charged for anything AND they have fresh baked cookies in their office everyday.
I wondered about them too, Nirac. That said, the cookies sound dangerous. I’d make small deposits each day to have daily cookie access!
I love DFB for other reasons, too. They support local events, they sponsor the book festival, the staff will learn your name in no time, they were incredibly patient and kind to me as I settled my mom’s estate a few years back (and kept bursting into tears in their bank), they’ve got that great eggshell mural, and I like the mints at the welcome desk.
And don’t forget the popcorn.
I always wonder if the artist ate all those eggs. That would put Cool Hand Luke to shame.
Is this the old mural from C&S on Clairmont?
I believe so.
I had no idea of its history. But I admire it each time I enter DFB.
+1 to all the other praise for DFB. Left Wells Fargo early this summer; I was a legacy from 4 acquisitions ago, and always hated them and Wachovia. DFB is wonderful.
Be sure to thank Congress (Dodd-Frank / Durbin) for those new fees – and don’t blame your bank. It’s not their fault – they tried to stop it.
Congress, with one stroke, legislated away billions of dollars of revenue that had allowed banks to provide an enormous variety of free services for ordinary folks like you and me. (Don’t try to tell me Conress didn’t know this would happen – it was the most obvious, most likely outcome of this bill.) Who is saving billions now? Primarily massive retailers like WalMart and Target. – Thanks Congress for picking winners and losers on your lobbyists’ whims.
Even the fee banks will have some opt-out levels for their better customers. Consider consolidating your financial life with one bank to get more leverage, and read the fine print carefully.
If you do need to change, good bets for non-fee services include USAA, ING Direct and similar online only banks. And do some shopping for locals, regionals or credit unions.
But remember, they’re ALL going to be looking for new revenue streams, because they have to.
I do thank Congress because they have limited the hidden fees that few of us were aware we are paying and given the banks a choice of whether or not they want to charge us a fee we know about.
I have no doubt that the banks will make even more money with these fees than they did with the excessive transaction fees. They are losing about 22 cents per transaction and gaining $5 per month from anyone that uses their card once that month. I don’t use my card 20 times a month so their profits would increase from my account.
Agreed! To me, what it really came down to with Bank of America is that their failed choices in the mortgage market led to their need to charge me fees. I’m over it.
+1
“they’re ALL going to be looking for new revenue streams, because they have to” . . . in order to continue to pay out ridiculous millions of dollars to their leaders who have no interest in the betterment of the nation – only the betterment of their personal fortunes. This is fine – they have that right in our free market. (They also have to cover the losses and legal fees for the housing bubble mess that they created.)
But we also have the right to pull our money out of these gilded havens for oligarchs and place it into a local bank like Decatur First Bank that will help to keep it circulating within our own community.
Poor banks? Please spare me that nonsense.
I shouldn’t have been surprised by the emotion in the responses, but I thought some rational thinking would have surfaced somewhere.
At the height of the mortgage crisis, most simple banking services were still free. These fees having nothing, zero, to do with bad mortgages, and everything to do with the Durbin amendment to Dodd-Frank. This law gives a huge break to retailers – yes Walmart, Walgreens, Target, etc., and sticks YOU with the bill. That doesn’t bother you?
I’m not saying you shouldn’t be savvy consumers in regards to choosing a good bank, but at least blame the right parties =- Congress and retailers -= for these fees.
George, I hate to break this to you, but just because Rush Limbaugh said it, that doesn’t make it “rational.” And just because it comes with some emotion, that doesn’t make it wrong.
This might make sense if it weren’t for the fact that retailers have to charge more to compensate for these fees. I can’t really avoid that, except by not shopping; but I can easily avoid the bank fees by switching banks, using credit cards, or paying with cash. There is no reason to fall for the standard line about passing on the costs to consumers–that won’t work so well for them if the consumers take a walk.
I suggest USAA. Been using them for insurance / banking for almost 20 yrs. Not a single complaint.
Isn’t USAA restricted to US Service (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines) folk and their families?
Generally, yes.
Most USAA banking products are open to anyone, but their insurances products are for members of the uniformed services, veterans, and certain others. Check out http://www.USAA.com. I’ve been a USAA banking customer since 1994 and their customer service is excellent. They have pledged not to charge fees for debit card use and they refund ATM fees up to a certain dollar amount each month.
USAA is great. Been with them for, yikes, almost 25 years? Never had a complaint. You don’t have to have the military connection to bank with them. Great service, good company.
I’m a fan of credit unions and usually you can find one that you are eligible to join.
Glenlake Park Speed Humps: Does anyone besides me think there’s something wrong with these? I approve of speed humps in places where a slow speed is mandatory–e.g. in a park with lots of kids, strollers, dogs, strolling people, cyclists, etc. around. But these aren’t speed humps, they are speed stalagmites. No matter how slow I go over—I could literally inch over–things in the body of my car jar one another. If my car wasn’t so old and jarred anyway, I’d park on Church and make everyone walk into the park.
I don’t have a problem with speed bumps but I agree with that the ones at Glenlake Park are speed stalagmites. You have to go over those at 1 mph or risk damage.
My kid thinks they’re fun! (me, not so much, but we usually walk.)
Agreed. Maybe their purpose is to keep people from driving down there at all. They have definitely kept me out. Also, don’t go over them on a bike. The only time I ride on the sidewalk is when I’m coming through there–to avoid those speedbumps.
Yes, my low Civic gets creamed on these speed humps even at the slowest speed possible to get over them.
Free chicken strips: https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/296845_10150321828944775_780499774_8328022_1746643862_n.jpg
Help, help! They’re being repressed!
Help, help, They’re being repressed!
Can anyone recommend a good machine shop close by? I need a small steel drilling job done, but it is far beyond the abilities of my home shop.
Every time I hear or read something (re: Renfroe) there seems to be a slant against expecting our students to try for a high Rubric score. Seems like the additional information is being used to lower expectations as opposed to motivate students to explore their potential. The Rubric system has potential – just not seeing it being used well yet.
The whole IB grading thing seems to be a work in progress, pun intended. Which is tolerable at the elementary level and even RMS because no harm done if CSD is learning on the job albeit kids and parents are confused. But it’s a major issue at the high school where grades count. Permanently. As in affects college admissions. As in affects funding for college. The rubric gets converted into a % age so a Georgia grade point average can be calculated which takes away the point of a rubric score. Grades need to either be in IB or conventional format. Doing both at once is like trying to speak French and Spanish at the same time. No one understands, not the English speakers, not the French speakers, not the Spanish speakers.
Confused indeed. Which elementary school are you referring to? My kids school doesnt do ib grading.
And are you suggesting that there are teachers out there who were more able to accurately and objectively assess learning with the old system, and rubrics are handicapping their ability to evaluate work?
Sorry, my mistake. They do standards-based evaluation. It’s not really a grade. I don’t know what it is. I’m glad that others on this blog understand better than I do. It probably doesn’t matter at the pre-high school level. A “1” means you’re in real trouble just like a “F” does and that’s probably all I need to know. But at the high school level, this weird conversion of IB grades into percentages seems terribly opaque. MAP scores, SAT scores, letter or percentage scores I understand. Performance based scores that are cumulative but show up on the report card as percentages for a particular term, I do not.
I do not understand the tax code either and I think an intelligent person with post-graduate education should be able to easily. Some things do not seem right but I’m just stuck with them. I guess that’s why we have lawyers who spend hours and earn a living on these less-than-clear codes.
Really? It doesn’t seem like you’re glad. Instead it seems like you don’t like ib all that much and just want to put out commentary that may or may not be accurate to keep any controversy around ib simmering.
The tax code analogy suggests as much anyway.
It’s not terribly difficult to get the grading thing with some willingness and an open mind. Again, if you don’t like ib, fair enough, but attributing some Byzantine complexity to the system rings hollow.
I actually love IB when implemented well. I think we should be a lot further ahead on the implementation. IB grading–I’m not as sold on but might be if it were explained well, understood well by the teachers, and implemented consistently. It’s definitely a work in progress. And the Campus Portal, which teachers say is not teacher friendly, doesn’t help. I’m reflecting mostly what I hear from teachers at multiple levels. The most bizarre part is converting IB grades into percentages at the high school. I’d prefer one system or the other.
rubrics have been around for a long time. teachers used them long before IB was a thought in Decatur. If your complaint is against IB, fair enough… But you say “the rubric system” and that’s confusing.
Also, can you be more specific about what the ” additional information” is? And how does it ( whatever it turns out to be) act to lower student’s expectations?
I think a lot of parents’ brains shut down at the term “rubric”. Isn’t there a more plain English term that cold be used?
“Rubric” is from a Middle English word and one of the definitions in Webster’s is “a guide listing specific criteria for grading or scoring academic papers, projects, or tests.” How much plainer can it be?
I’ve never been successful at the rubric’s cube.
I thought “Rubric” was the name of the river crossed by Little Caesars, as commanded by Herman Cain.
I had never heard it used in normal conversation until about 5 years ago in CSD and I’m actually quite good at verbal tests, Scrabble, crosswords, Reader’s Digest “It Pays to Increase Your Vocabulary”, stuff like that. I doubt I’m the only parent who scratches their head when it’s used. “Grading Guide” or “Scoring Guide” would work better for me. It sounds like Eduspeak to me but mamaybe other professions use the term a lot too.
But thanks to the endless benefits of reading Decatur Metro, I’ve got it now!
Not trying to pick an argument, but I just have to ask: What would you think if your child said, “I’ve never heard that word, it’s too hard for me to remember what it means,” and his/her teacher agreed, “OK, we’ll use more cumbersome (and possibly less precise) word or phrase that you are more comfortable with”? I refuse to believe somebody with a post-graduate education and a self-professed facility with vocabulary can’t absorb and retain the meaning of “rubric.” What’s up, really?
I think she was talking more from a marketing angle than what people were actually able to comprehend.
I don’t mind the kids learning “rubric” since it’s the jargon of their teachers and is useful for Scrabble and the SAT! And I really don’t mind learning it either. Next time someone at work uses the business jargon “crosswalk these competencies”, I will tell them that what they have is a rubric. But I don’t think the terminology is useful with non-education oriented parents, especially since some are more involved with the specifics of their children’s instruction than others. And I’m a little suspicious of a grading system that has taken so long to explain well to first teachers, then students, and then parents. Some teachers still seem confused. A crisp, clear concept shouldn’t be that hard to explain, should it? The most confusing part is evidently at the high school where the IB grading, by definition cumulative over the year, nonetheless shows up on the report card as conventional-looking percentages for that 6-week interval. I’ve even heard some talk that IB grading could make DHS students less competitive for HOPE scholarships and college entrance because the top rubric score, e.g. a 6, is rarely given (appropriately since how many students have truly mastered everything about a subject?) so most students can only strive for the next percentage level down which might be set at something like a 92%. However, my understanding is still rudimentary, as evidenced by my awkwardness with “rubric”, so I do not pretend to understand how IB grading converted to percentages will help or hurt DHS competitiveness.
I didn’t mean my example quite that literally, but never mind about that.
I don’t know how they do non-IB grading these days, but the way it worked when I was coming along was that each report card (every 9 weeks for us, I think) reflected how each student was doing in each subject so far. Our final grade at the end of the year was an overall reflection of the year. The better job you did on your daily homework and larger projects, and the more answers correct on tests, the higher your grade would be. Some teachers offered bonus work — in the form of extra questions on tests and/or extra reading or writing assignments — that could boost your grade higher than 100%. Although it was pretty tough and unusual to get a final, overall grade above 100%. Anyhow, I don’t see what is so different in what you described. ALTHOUGH if they are equating 100% with a level of mastery that’s actually comparable to getting top grades on all regular assignments plus doing a bunch of bonus work, then I can see how that creates a competitive disadvantage with students in other systems. Is that really what they are doing? On the other hand, isn’t the general party line around here to raise the bar as high as possible and then higher the next year? Given the variability we know exists across school systems — a 3.8 at one high school is not really comparable to a 3.8 at another (and truthfully, never has been) — is it possible that Decatur schools are focusing primarily on how to be sure each student learns as much as possible, and not so much on trying to play the college admissions game? I don’t know, that honestly is not meant as a loaded question. It just occurs to me.
I would like to know too!
I am not addressing the confusion – my concern is that I’m hearing comments such as – “You aren’t supposed to get a 9 or a 10 – just getting a 6 is above average” The expectations seem to have been lowered at the middle school level.
That is confusion. There is no “average”. That type of thinking is a relic of percentages which are no longer relevant for the grading system. Is your contention that an 82% motivated students to get a 90% differently than a 6 motivates a student towards an 8? If so, I don’t follow the logic.
The rubrics are written in such a way that there is more ability to distinguish quality at or above what acceptable work looks like. The old way was the inverse of that. Not every student is going to be at the high end of the rubrics in every class… At least not while offering the rigor and challenge that is purportedly desired by so many.
My guess is that many students that once easily reached the top of the grading scales now have a chance strive for something even higher, an opportunity that is not always welcome.
Exactly. My concern is not with rubrics but with how the teachers and administrators seem to be using “terms” that don’t emphasize striving for something higher.
So you heard a teacher say exactly what you quoted? If so, they’re wrong. I’ve not heard that sentiment coming from any rms teacher, but hey, maybe you have.
Sometimes there’s this “Be happy. Don’t worry” tone you get back from some teachers and administrators. If your child gets a high rubric score, it’s good. If they get a middle score, it’s still good. If your child gets a middle to low score, it’s ok because it’s early in the year. If it’s at the end of the year, well maybe they’ll do better next year.
Oh really? That’s not really relevant to the question I asked the other poster. I’m not chasing your moving target any more.
That’s some serious tude you got going there. Check that.
Poster has asked to have their comment removed.
But not before detective J_T came in and cracked the case! 😉
Actually the ask was prior to J_T’s comment.
I checked.
Since you say you read something, and are now saying these are sentiments from educators at rms… is this something others may have read to? I’d like to read that too to better understand your position.
Good point about the students who get the top rubric score. What comes next? It should force the gifted services to be more about quality than quantity. A longstanding complaint has been that sometimes gifted services are more about giving more work than giving a higher level of material. The students who are most hurt by that are the brainiacs who need more tailored and neurologically stimulating instruction not just double work.
I’ll bite one more time… It’s a good question, so why don’t YOU answer it using the a,b,c,d,f system you prefer and understand? Please explain how the methods you “get” did a better job of addressing your concerns than rubrics and ib grading do.
Good point “At Home.” If your child gets a 1 or 2, it’s okay because it’s still early in the year. But how are you supposed to know whether or not they’re going to “make it’ by the end of the year? And if they’re getting 3s and 4s early in the year, what does that mean? Are they in the wrong grade? If they’re already mastering stuff this early then what comes next? Do they go into the gifted program? It just seems like a flawed system to me. I’d rather see evidence of “progress,” not just a touchy-feely sentiment from a teacher saying “they’ll get there, don’t worry.”
I also don’t like the practice at Renfroe of adding questions to a test that “they’re not really supposed to get.” I freaked out when my student got 13 out of 25 questions on a math test, but then was told that last 7 or so were at a very high level and it was okay if the students didn’t get it or didn’t even try them. Talk about setting them up to fail! I don’t like that system AT ALL.
Evidence of progress is your kid answers the 7 hard questions next time. How can you demand a system that provides evidence of progress, but complain about assessments that are designed to do just that?
I do NOT believe the system is flawed and do like many things about it. The math example is one of the times that I hear wording that sounds like – “it’s OK not to get the harder questions”
This is my issue as when I talk to my children about striving for more – I would like the classroom environment to match. I have discussed this with other parents and am getting similar responses that our discussions with our children seemed to have to be around raising their expectations and not accepting “good enough”
In reading this thread, it seems like the problem is when the message pertaining to IB is the same regardless of student capability. The student who is capable of getting a high rubric score early on needs to be encouraged to perform better if they are only getting a middling score. The student for whom a middle level score is a great place to be at the beginning of the year should not be discouraged.
An Eduspeak term that no longer fazes me is “differentiated instruction”. No matter what grading system is used, and how long it takes us all to understand it, the level of instruction should be differentiated to where the individual student is at and where they need to be. That’s the trick. From what I have observed, high quality differentiated instruction takes a lot of commitment, energy, skill, and experience on the part of the teacher. fi
And I’m worried about teachers being able to provide that differentiated instruction given the financial pressures which are likely to push class sizes up. Someone just explained to me what will happen in CSD if SPLOST is not voted in. We built FAVE assuming SPLOST would be available to pay off the debt (which is actually a lease back from a financial institution but you’ve got me how that works). If it’s not voted in, paying off the debt (or lease?) will be taken out of the CSD operating budget. Yikes!
Props to Rocket 88 (former Johnies Pizza)…if your a bit weary of the accoustic granola that is the Decatur music scene check them out sometime. Grab a PBR and get your Ramones on!
Wife and I went and picked up some sandwiches to go 2 sundays ago. They were great!
Since this is a free for all, I wish that I could buy a growler of Chicken Tikka Masala from Bhojanic. Or maybe some way to just keep it on draft at my house.