Missionary Drive/Court, Decatur GA (pic submitted by Carrie)

Deputy Chief Keith Lee sends along this list of Halloween safety tips and notes that DPD will have extra officers on duty Monday…

Halloween may be a fun day for children, but for parents, trick-or-treat time can be a little tricky. To make Halloween a treat for all, follow these safety tips:

1) MAKE SURE YOUR CHILDREN DRESS UP SAFELY
A) Check that the costumes are flame retardant so the little ones are not in danger near burning jack-o-lanterns and other fire hazards.

B) Keep costumes short to prevent trips, falls, and other bumps in the night.

C) Try make-up instead of a mask. Masks can be hot and uncomfortable. More importantly, they can obstruct a child’s vision, which can be dangerous when crossing streets and going up and down steps.

D) Make sure children wear light colors or put reflective tape on their costumes.

E) Trick-or-treaters should always walk in groups so they are not tempting targets for real-life goblins. Parents should accompany their children when trick-or-treating, even the older children.

 

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Priyanka sends along this event announcement for the Carlos Museum…

AFRICAN DANCE FOR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

MONDAYS, NOVEMBER 7 – DECEMBER 12

5-6:30 PM, RECEPTION HALL

For six Monday afternoons, the Carlos Museum invites you to dance to the rhythms of live African drums with Giwayen Mata. Move to the direction of Omelika Kuumba and members of this three-time winner of Creative Loafing’s Choice Award for Top Traditional/World Music and Dance group. Giwayen Mata will warm you up, work you out and cool you down with movements, rhythms, and songs as well as explain the cultural contexts for each dance. You are guaranteed to experience your muscles thoroughly and leave each session feeling revived and rejuvenated.

Fee: $60 for Museum members, $80 for non-members. To register, contact Elizabeth Hornor at 404-727-6118 or [email protected]

This program is held in conjunction with the exhibition Divine Intervention: African Art and Ritual, on view at the Carlos through December 4.

The Carlos Museum is a DM sponsor

• Decatur cow misplaces tongue ad [Craigslist]
• “Eddie Owen Presents” could start at Red Clay Theater as early as Thanksgiving [Patch]
• Fall food: Maple Bacon Butternut Squash Soup [AJC]
• U.S. income inequality highest in Atlanta [Reuters]
• AJC outsources design to “sister-papers” [Fresh Loaf]
• “Nobody wants to occupy the strip mall or the office park or the park and ride lot.” [Atlantic Cities]
• “Overpopulation isn’t the problem: it’s too few babies” [Newgeography]

Photo courtesy of Chris P via Flickr

Feel free to make comments and ask questions about local topics not discussed here over the past week.

Comments close Monday.

UPDATE:  Here’s the AJC article on the tongue.

So, I’ve received a couple of inquiries about a lot of police activity around Decatur Square this afternoon.  Apparently there was even a rumor that police found an “arm” or something?

Decatur Police Chief Booker tells DM that police responded to reports of a “suspicious package” on the northeast corner of Decatur Square “near a large tree”, but it turned out the package contained “wrapped up and discarded…beef tongue”.

So there you go.  Everyone can stop panicking now.  No arm or other human appendage was found.

Are you suffering from heated, local political rivalry withdrawal?  Do you find yourself listening to the Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling” repeatedly just so that it feels a bit more like 2009, when Decatur had FOUR hotly contested races (two city/two school board) going on at the same time?

Well, this might not be an all-out cure, but at least it has the potential to mollify some of the less attractive symptoms of local politi-talk withdrawal until election day.  (It’s only a couple weeks away!)

Patch has asked School Board District 1 candidates Peg Bumgardner and Garett Goebel 11 questions regarding their candidacy.   Questions include: What are the biggest issues facing the school system?  Should Westchester be reopened?  The new nepotism policy.   The bus schedules.  Would you raise the school millage rate?  And more!

So get on over there and learn up on your candidates!  You ain’t just going to the polls to vote for Sunday liquor sales, are ya?