Probably the most interesting conversation at the Decatur City Commission meeting last night came about as the $151,750 annual contract with Dynamo Pool Services for the 2012 pool season.

The report from Active Living’s Jabari Cole noted that the pools took in a little more than $163,000 this past year from pool admissions fees.  This was actually $12,000 over the amount of last year’s contract with Dynamo, meaning the pools actually MADE money this past year, which according to City Manager Peggy Merriss is nearly unheard of in the world of city pool budgeting.  According to a comment from Mr. Cole, 65% is usually seen as a good return on pool funding.

That’s the good news.  The other side of the coin?

The pools are at capacity most of the year, especially at McKoy.  “I’m getting comments from citizens of Decatur that the pools are too crowded.”, Mr. Cole said at the meeting. He continued to confirm commissioner’s stated concerns, agreeing that “lots of people coming from outside the city to use our schools.”

Look for this issue to come up again soon, as both city staff and the commissioners were obviously quite concerned about overcrowding at Decatur’s public pools in the coming year.  Mr. Cole mentioned the lack of a price difference for daily passes for residents and non-residents, but worried about any sort of “enforcement”.

It looks like Decatur’s pools seem to be suffering the same fate of its popular school system.  Except they’re making some money in the process.

Tomorrow’s News Today reports that the NaanStop Express Indian Cuisine Los Angeles food truck brothers, Neal and Samir Idnani, plan to open a brick and mortar restaurant in the second-half of 2012 somewhere “in the Decatur or Emory area but that could change if a situation develops elsewhere in Atlanta.”  A bit more info…

They have a great name, a healthy and different product and were one of only a handful of the over 300 food trucks in LA to consistently turn a profit.  Additionally, they were featured on numerous TV and radio stations in LA and had quite the Twitter following.  Recently I learned that you might even get a glimpse of the NaanStop truck in an upcoming episode of the hit FOX drama “Bones.”

The brothers are taking their time and know that in Atlanta, more than most cities, the perfect location, preferably with ample parking, is essential.  They served their last Naanwich via their truck on November 30th and had hoped to be open here by March.  Now, without what they feel is the perfect location, they are perfecting their menu and keeping an eye out for their first location.

Decatur City Commissioner Patti Garrett posted this Top 10 list of city accomplishments in 2011…

1. The City and City Schools of Decatur agreed to participate in a joint maintenance facility and we did a joint bid for office supplies; Fifth Avenue Academy opened.
2. The City Commission adopted a second ten-year strategic plan which was the result of a year-long planning process with input from over 1500 individuals.
3. Standard and Poor’s upgraded the City’s rating from AA to AA+ and Moody’s Investors Service confirmed the City rating of Aa3.
4. CCP Games has leased 40,000 square feet in the Renaissance Building and is relocating its North American Headquarters to Decatur.
5. Real estate property digest remained flat from 2010 but values from 2011 exceeded 2008 values by 3%; sales of existing housing stock increased 13% in 2011 and permit and inspection fees increased 76%.
6. The City secured grant funding for the N McDonough Streetscape improvement project  as well as for Clairemont/CommerceChurch St Pedestrian Safety and Bicycle improvements.
7. Crime rate was down by 3%.
8. The former Holiday Inn was sold to Noble Investment group and the hotel will re-open in February as a Courtyard by Marriott.
9. Through its recycling efforts, the City has reduced landfill deposits by approximately 41% and the two electronics recycling events resulted in 57 tons of electronic equipment being recycled.
10. Decatur was designated a Tree City USA and received a Silver Walk Friendly Community designation from the Pedestrian and Bicycle Center.

Whatcha think?  Did she capture everything?

Eddie’s Attic put Decatur on the map in terms of the national folk/acoustic music scene. I adore Eddie’s and I consider myself spoiled by the quality of shows there — I’ve been known to slip out of the house and up to Eddie’s on a Wednesday night to sit in a corner in the back with a beer, enjoy the heck out of a show, and be home by 9:45. I’m excited to see what the new owners might do with the space, and I am thrilled that Eddie Owen’s renewed involvement will ensure that the Attic will continue to honor the purpose it has served in support of national touring artists.

There is little room on its busy stage, however, for the many accomplished musicians we have homegrown right here. When I was an Agnes Scott student, Eddie was still a bartender at the Trackside, where I would go to hear the likes of local artists such as the Indigo Girls, Kristin Hall, and Michelle Malone. I loved it there, and I also loved going across the street to the Freight Room to hear folks like Cyndi Craven and Tom Wolf, two Atlanta acoustic mainstays who still perform in the area.

Those days are long gone, but still there is something about Decatur that wants to clear a space for the incredible muslcal talent that’s being cultivated right here at home. We are crawling with great music. It’s just a little hard to find sometimes.

It’s not so hard, though, on Tuesday nights. An actual local music scene is taking root right around the center of the city. Thinking back to a suggestion in John Kessler’s recent piece on Decatur’s dining scene that a wonderful, leisurely evening might be made of exploring the terrific culinary options the city has to offer, wouldn’t it be fun if a similar set of musical riches were to emerge?

Maybe we are well on our way. Three venues, all within a half-mile of one another around the square, are now hosting lively sessions on Tuesday nights. At these places you can find some of the best musical talent Atlanta has to offer. It’s well worth taking one night to explore all three, or to spread the joy over three weeks. Who knows? You might even find yourself setting aside your Tuesday evenings to walk up to the square and hear some music in a relaxed, comfortable setting. None of these are “open jams” or “open mics;” each promises — or even exceeds — performances that you would hear on a professional stage. Are you ready for a quick tour?

Twain’s Jazz Jam

Joe Gransden kicked off his Tuesday night jams at Twain’s Billiards and Tap on Trinity in April 2008, and it didn’t take long for this session to gain a reputation as one of the best jazz jams in Atlanta. Joe is well known in Atlanta and especially Decatur as a trumpeter and band leader par excellence, and his Tuesday nights at Twain’s draw some incredible local talent, including regulars pianist Tyrone Jackson, bassist Craig Shaw, drummer Chris Burroughs, trombone player Wes Funderburk . . . the list just goes on and on. Mosey in around 9:00, order a beer, then sit back and prepare to be blown away for several hours by the stunning musicianship on that stage. Here’s an example — a nearly nine-minute take on “Caravan” featuring Clarence Johnson on sax, Wes Funderburk on trombone, Tyrone Jackson on keys, Craig Shaw on bass, and Chris Burroughs on drums.

Marlay House Celtic Jam

If you’re called to something a little more Celtic, then jig on down to the Marlay House on Ponce for the terrific Irish sessions with, yes indeed, some of the best Celtic and acoustic players the Atlanta area has to offer. This jam, which gets rolling around 8 p.m., has been a lively weekly event since about 2009. Members of the Buddy O’Reilly Band (well known for their leading role in Atlanta’s Celtic Christmas performance), and renowned traditional players such as Moira Nelligan (fiddle player and vocalist) and Tim Cape (fiddle), Barbara Panter and Whit Connah of Hair of the Dog, and a host of other accomplished musicians circle ’round in a generous front corner booth and play unplugged. Sometimes the Irish step dancers put in an appearance, too. Later into the evening, around 10 or 10:30, the music strays from its traditional Irish bent into American old-time, swing, blues, even Cajun. Find a table near the front for a good spot to watch and listen. Here’s a segment that WPBA produced on the Marlay House jam not long ago.

Java Monkey’s Tuesday Night String Club

A Marlay House session may leave you wanting to more fully explore Decatur’s acoustic offerings. Hie thee off, then, to Java Monkey on Church Street, for the Tuesday Night String Club. Since January 2010, here have gathered some of the area’s most accomplished songwriters and players, who bring out their guitars, ukuleles, mandolins, cellos — there’s even a concertina and a piano pretty regularly — for an evening of showcases, collaborations, experimentations, and playing for the pure pleasure of it. Among the regulars are local favorites Ben Wakeman, Cyndi Craven, Ashley Filip, Billy Gewin, Bruce Gilbert, Bob Bakert, Jerry Brunner, Lindsay Petsch, Daniel Lipton, and Atlanta newcomer and former Nitty Gritty Dirt Band member, John Cable. Take your glass of wine or brew and your hunk of Southern Sweets cake out onto the patio and settle in with this intrepid and entertaining gang. Here’s a sampling of a few minutes of a recent Tuesday Night String Club evening, featuring John Cable, Lindsay Petsch, and Daniel Lipton.

• Concerned about the Decatur tax website’s online fees? [Decatur Tax Blog]
• The Atlanta Beltline launches a blog [via Saporta Report]
• Anti-Decatur Walmart group meets Tuesday [Patch]
• Blue jean bandits hit Va-Hi boutique [AJC]
• Ha! These descriptions of Decatur just get more hilarious [Romeo Travel]
• Tips to prevent roof rats [Clairmont Heights]
• Apple creating a “GarageBand” for textbooks? [MacRumors]

Old Fourth Ward Park photo courtesy of the new Atlanta Beltline Blog