Free-For-All Friday 3/23/12
Decatur Metro | March 23, 2012Feel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local issues not discussed here over the past week.
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Are you ready to adopt a more active lifestyle, get in shape, and achieve your fitness goals? Well, join us at Agnes Scott College on Monday, April 2nd as we kick off a new month and year of KITF boot camp!
This week’s Free-For-All Friday is brought to you by: Kick in the Fit, offering a free month of boot camp (morning) to one Decatur Metro reader. www.kickinthefit.com.
To enter, just send an email with the subject line “Decatur Metro Giveaway” to . Make sure to include your name and address in the email. Tell us in 25 words or less why you want to get fit and try Kick in the Fit boot camp in April. Kick in the Fit will pick the winner at random on Monday morning.
Latest from Decaturish
Shout out to the Staff at The Marriott Courtyard: the grand opening was wonderful. The rooms are nice, the lobby very pleasant. I love that they have a saltwater pool.
The bistro has great breakfast items. What an addition to Decatur.
The staff is very pleasant many of whom who have been there many years.
I have guests coming in this week and I am proud they have this nice hotel.
We’ve had a collegue stay there and he was very impressed. Said his room was very nice and the lobby was much more modern than most Marriotts.
Anyone know a good doggie daycare in Decatur? Puppy training classes for small breeds?
We use Wag-a-Lot for daycare and boarding, but there are 2 or 3 others in the area.
We had a terrible experience at Wag-a-Lot and we invited ourselves to never return
We have taken our dog to Camp Woof for day care and boarding for years. Love them!
They can probably offer info on classes, as well.
We have used Camp Woof and our dog always seemed happy when we dropped her off and picked her up. But, if you have access to the interwebs during the day, the doggie webcam they provide can be nothing short of addictive.
We’ve taken our pup to Rex and Roxy’s off College Ave. for about 7 years and love them. Jabula Dog Academy is right next door, and owner Kate is fantastic.
Our dog was cordially invited to never return to Rex and Roxy’s. No bad on them, though (they’re very nice and our previous dog loved it there). I assure you he earned his banishment fair and square.
+1 on both R&R’s and Jabula. Jabula offers a pint size obedience class that is outstanding.
+1
The Kirkwood Bark & Lounge is great. It’s not in Decatur but very close. They have Frogs to Dogs training there.
Pet’s Playhouse on Ponce is good for boarding and daycare. I don’t know if they offer training, though.
Thumbs up to Pets Playhouse for boarding, daycare, and grooming… One of our three “kids” is socially awkward and high strung, but the staffers have always been very patient with her. They all adore the place and go bonkers with happiness when they sniff it in the distance.
LOVE Rex and Roxy’s. We’ve been customers for more than 7 years, and it’s like a second home to my dog. It’s very clean, cool in the summer (hugely important), and the staff is great. They are very careful about the safety and well-being of the dogs (sorry, Scott–but that they would ban a pooch for bad behavior is a good sign to me!), and they really do sincerely love the dogs.
Wag-a-Lot is the best we’ve found in Decatur (or Atlanta) for doggie daycare or extended boarding. One of our dogs had socialization issues and we were worried about her in that environment, but she loves it there (which you can see first hand on the streaming video feeds — agreed that they are crazy addictive). Now if I could just get her to be so chill at home…
For training, I highly recommend Jabula, who we have used for both basic obedience classes and will soon be employing to help with the aforementioned issue. http://www.jabuladogs.com/ We love Gil, but there are lots of great folks there.
We’re currently training our latest addition at Jabula and are enjoying them.
Our puppy is training at Jabula, and I am very happy with the trainers, the methods, and the facilities. My only disappointment is that it is not pronounced “JAB-you-luh.”
Not in Decatur, but close by… We’ve been taking our dog to The Bark n Lounge in Kirkwood for years, and they are fantastic. They also have obedience classes through Frogs to Dogs.
We’ve been very pleased with Wagalot– had a really bad experience with Camp Woof, simply cannot recommend them. Puppy training? Not sure, but Frogs to Dogs is good for older pups…
Depending on your stituation, you might also consider in-home care. We have Petmeisters come to our home and walk our dogs twice a day. They are great and send pictures after each visit with brief comments as to how the dogs are, how the walk went, etc.
We take our dog to Camp Woof. He loves it.
Our rescue is going to Jabula right now and loves it!
When I use the edit function (thanks DM! Very helpful for hasty fingers!), I get an error message like “Stack overflow at line:2…” or “Overflow line 24″ but the edit function works anyway. Inquiring mnds want to know why……..
A big shout out and thank you to Decatur Fire Department, specifically firefighter Dansby, for making sure I installed my daughter’s car seat correctly this week!
+1. The first time you see a trained car seat installer do it, you realize most people don’t have theirs installed right.
Gotta go this week to get four seats inspected (twins, two cars). Just filled out the form.
Does anyone have a recommendation for a good men’s haircut? I liked Alison at Grow, but they’ve priced themselves out of my range. Looking to spend no more than $30-40.
OakhurstDad just made the switch from Salon Red to Fresche and had a great experience. I think he paid $35.
Real Salon off of Ponce. On the way to the Farmer’s Market.
Try Julie at Liberty Hair…
she used to work at Fresche in Oakhurst
678-953-2171
juliedoeshair.com
tell her my wife Theresa sent you…
I second the rec for Jullie at Liberty salon. She does my hair, as well as that of Mr. PlantDiva. Her website is something like juliedoeshair.com.
Wayne, Chris and the boys over at Peachtree Battle barbershop. Old school – just the way it should be. $16
+1 for Peachtree Battle. I call it “The World’s Most Republican Barber Shop” (which I am not). Seriously old school.
Old school and in the South, they’d be Democrats.
I, Warren Buffett, have heard that Axiom Men’s Salon on Ponce, across from Subway, gets you the best bang for your buck haircut ($20) this side of Omaha. Men, we need to clean up our shaggy looks, and Axiom is the place to help us accomplish this.
Hubbs goes to Axiom. He likes it and especially likes that they do not take appointments – he used to either forget to make them or forget to show up for them. You can call first to make sure there is not a long wait.
Another dude in favor of Axiom. Great cuts, attention to detail, fine folks. Although I must say I liked it better when fewer dudes were in the know. But that’s just me being selfish. Cause, ya know, it is all about me. Plus, as a dude, I really have a hard, hard, terribly hard time shelling out $30 bucks from a shearing.
“plus, as a dude, I really have a hard, hard, terribly hard time shelling out $30 bucks from a shearing.”
Ditto that. I was reluctant even to step up to Axiom at first. I’m more of a Great Clips-with-a-coupon kind of a dude. But Axiom is worth it.
Totally agree with both of you! Reading through the posts, I thought I must be really cheap or out of the loop or something because NO WAY am I paying more than $20 for someone to spend 5 minutes on my hair. Thanks for letting me know I’m not alone!
When you spend more than $20, they spend more than 5 minutes.
Pretty Wife sez, ‘don’t be cheap, go get a nice haircut.’
‘Whatever, toots, I don’t enjoy spending money like you do,’ I mumble, thankfully undetected.
pretty wife sounds like a smart lady
Pretty and smart…I am blessed.
I find Axiom consistently good. I got some really nice cuts at Great Clips, but they weren’t consistent. The owner guy, (can’t remember his name), was always dependable, and fixed one or two bad cuts from his staff for me. Diane at Axiom is great and always has good book recommendations.
Is it a barber shop type place or more of a salon? I shave my own head most of the time but a hot shave sure is a nice treat.
If you want to stick with Grow, I’v been pretty happy with Kris. Should be in your price range.
I’ve been going to Kris at Grow for years now and he’s still in your price range (although it’s close if you add tip). Not sure why there’d be so much variation from one to another there, but I guess they’re independent contractors working under the same roof.
I’m of the opinion that if you really like the job the person is doing, it’s worth sticking with them, even with occasional inflation. I’ve had some very bad haircuts over the years, which has made me hang on that much tighter to the folks that provide the good ones.
Do you know the difference between a good haircut and a bad haircut? 2 weeks.
“Do you know the difference between a good haircut and a bad haircut? 2 weeks.”
Funny and true–the best kind of joke.
Only true for males.
It’s 2 months for female haircuts. And the trauma lasts for 2 years.
That’s sexist. I’m offended.
+1 for Allison. I think she’s worth the premium, but everybody understandably sets different values on these things.
(I know this isn’t helpful to you, KC — I just wanted to provide some love for Allison.)
+1 for Allison at Grow. I’ve been using her for years. Ironically, I missed my last appointment and used Axiom as an alternate. They were good, and much cheaper, but it’s just not the same. As with all else, you get what you pay for.
Sofia at A Natural Buzz on Medlock Rd @ N. Decatur Rd/Scott Blvd. – haircuts for the whole family
Tiffany @ Fresche is great, and that’s coming from someone who hates getting their hair cut.
Try Lisa at Ms. Lisa’s Cuts for Kids. She has cut my toddler’s hair and my hair for a while, but my husband tried her this week, and she did a great job. $20.
I bought a Wahl Clip and Trim set at Walmart about 2 years ago. Haven’t spent a penny on haircuts since. If you are already married, or otherwise asexual, that’s the way to go!
Huh, and here I thought only the Moz was asexual.
J_T-
I too purchased such a devise to use on my kids (and self) and I have become quite good at buzz cuts. I got them to cooperate initially by paying THEM $5 for each cut. They jumped at that and after a couple of competent cuts, they don’t even bring up money any more.
MY problem is that I can’t get a quality cut from THEM. I made the mistake of asking my 11 yo son to give me a buzz cut before a big meeting and when he was done…I looked like Billy Bob Thornton from Slingblade.
My wife can do marginally better. I suggest forming a co-op where those of us who can wield a Wahl can trade out our services with each other. Or if not, then maybe a bad haircut support group.
I’ll be honest, the odds of me joining any co-op, let alone one that requires me to cut someone’s hair, are pretty slim. However, I’d be a charter member of the bad haircut support group! We can meet at Trackside and we’d fit right in.
John at Rutabaga, which is on Decatur square. $40.
Dennis at Axiom on east ponce!!!!!!!! hands down!
Husband, 2 sons and myself all swear by Lori at Fresche in Oakhurst.
Reading the news this morning about a woman attacked on College Ave. on her way to the East Lake MARTA station. Any more info?
Where did you see this? I couldn’t find it on the AJC website.
On the WSBTV website in local news.
I read it on the WSB website. The article is still there in the local news section.
Thanks. Kind of disturbing. From the WSBTV website: She said the most disappointing part of the ordeal was that no one offered help when she screamed. “If you hear a woman screaming or yelling, at least open your door and make your presence [known] and that kind of would make that person run away, or something,” she said. Some of College Avenue around the MARTA station is mostly parking lots and pretty deserted, especially early in the morning. But it sounds like the victime was near households that she hoped would respond.
Anyone else witnessed bad behavior by food delivery drivers lately? One of the local sandwich shop vehicles cut me off zipping away from the curb the other day. I was inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt until I watched him run a red light 20 seconds later. I contacted the store and felt that the manager was not very interested.
I have. About a month ago I had one flip out and call me every curse word in the English language. The only thing I can imagine that set him off was me being in his way while I was waiting for someone to pull out of a parking space, but it was a tiny parking lot and really he got himself stuck. Anyway, I talked to the owner and she was very nice and apologetic about it. She said she dealt with the driver (I can only guess how) and offered me a gift card.
Anyone know what’s being built on Scott Blvd in the old JD Byrider location?
According to the Dekalb Cty building permits database, there is a medical office building going in at the old JD Byrider. The owner is shown as Family Practice of Atlanta, and by the looks of the elevator/stair tower they’re putting in it will be more than one story.
Does anyone know of a graphic designer that would do freelancing for a logo/watermark at a reasonable price?
My high school-age son does graphic design. Let me know if you want to give him a try.
I would be happy to help you out and my rates are embarrassingly reasonable, although perhaps not as reasonable as high school help. You can see my work in the Atlanta Business Chronicle and Stomp and Stammer. Unfortunately, I have not yet won the Decatur Beer Festival logo contest, though not for lack of trying. E-mail me at onebirdbrain at bellsouth dot net.
We were very happy with the work J.C. did for our law firm. He can be contacted at . I thought he was very reasonable.
I can heartily recommend Rick at Brozek Design. http://www.brozekdesign.com.
Easy to work with, gives an upfront estimate and is very creative…
+1 on Brozek Design
I was pleased to see a Decatur Police officer monitoring traffic on Howard this morning in the school zone. Last week I noted several of my fellow motorists zooming past me along that stretch of the road (including a DHS teacher, who, granted, may have more reason than any of us to want to take out a high school student). I’ve invested a lot of time and money in the care and feeding of my 18-year-old over the years and appreciate the officer being there to help slow down the traffic. Lord knows, she’s so busy texting all her friends, she probably wouldn’t notice a car speeding towards her as she crosses the street.
The Decatur Police and the School Crossing Guards are all very mush appreciated for the word they do during school hours along Howard. Last year I gave cookies to the ladies who work the crossing at Adair and Howard.
If any Winnona Parkers were wondering about some minor police activity on Derrydown today, Winnona Park Stud was pulled over and cited this morning for failing to wear a safety restraint. Officer Copeland spotted the violation at Commerce and Sycamore. Winnona Park Stud has been driving a car with an insistent seat belt reminder, but was in his car that emits only a single polite beep when it detects the driver is unrestrained. Not an excuse though – driving w/o a belt is about as smart as motorcycling w/o a helmet, and worth a citation for sure. To avoid any hint of trying to wheedle out of a ticket, Winnona Park Stud waited until citation was in hand before expressing his appreciation to Officer Copeland for the great job he and his colleagues do in traffice enforcement (especially around school zones) and the other areas of law enforcement. Perhaps it was an odd timing, but Winnona Park Stud rarely has an opportutnity to talk with a DPD officer, and the occasional misstep aside, we are very fortunate to have the law enforcement agency that we do.
I would slap the cuffs on you for writing in the third person.
Hey! I love the Stud and I sure as hope spoke to the DPD officer in the third person as well. It’s his shtick and I gotta say that it’s one of the more endearing ones around here.
Ditto! We love us some WPS!
Hands off the Stud, OTP newbie
What’s with all the little green inch worms dropping out of the sky? Is it a sign of the End Times?
I don’t know, but Decatur should definitely have a festival for that. The Inchworm Festival.
I have my children bicycle ahead of me to clear them out of my path.
I swear the pollen granules get bigger and bigger every year…
Announcing the Decatur Inchworm and Pollen Festival. Who wants a booth?
Make it a contest and our minivan wins. Especially if you include bird poop.
Sponsored by Kleenex.
Can anyone recommend a good financial advisor? Doesn’t necessarily have to be in Decatur.
Faye Vantreese. 404-354-1039.
Jonathan Robinson, CFP at Oppenheimer. o: 404-262-5389
What will all the GU wrappers dropped in the streets by marathon runners last weekend do to our storm water system when it rains?
I thought runners were all about saving the planet.
What’s a GU wrapper?
GU is a carbohydrate/electrolyte gel sold in small foil wrappers. It is consumed every 45 minutes during exercise to prevent cramping and provide an energy boost. Considerate athletes put the empty wrappers in a pocket for later disposal. There is a trail of these wrappers on my bike commute route from Decatur to downtown.
Thanks for the education. I find that sitting on my couch prevents cramping and provides me an energy boost plus it involves zero littering.
Good for you! Some of the sofa sitters at my house are terrible litterers. Especially the 7-year old.
Not that I’m a supporter of littering, but I’ve run plenty of these races and it is very typical for runners to throw the things they use (cups at a water station, GU wrappers, etc.) down to the curb as they pass a water station. The race organizers are the ones responsible for cleaning up afterwards. It is not reasonable to expect runners to carry every cup they use with them for 26.2 miles. And pockets? The pockets in my running shorts have room for a single key. And that’s it.
Rules for practice runs, of course, are different. No wanton littering if there’s no one there to sweep up after you. But the runners paid their race fee and some were running for a qualifying time. Contact the race organizers.
That surprises me. I didn’t run in that race, but generally race organizers are very diligent about making sure the paper cups, wrappers, and discarded clothing are not left along the route once the race has finished. Are they still there?
Si.
Maybe there’s a contact email on their website. Let them know the location and perhaps they’ll take care of it. I doubt they’d want their event to be associated with the trash and litter from it.
Ultimate Frisbee this Sunday 3:00!! Renfroe field. Bring a white t shirt and a dark t shirt!
I’m looking for a good dentist here in Decatur – and maybe a CPA too. Any good suggestions?
For CPA, try Chet Burge at Burge and Associates (http://www.burgecpa.com/). They’re in the 315 W. Ponce building a block down from CVS.
Dr. Marvin Winter in Fidelity Bank Bldg at Commerce and Clairemont
I don’t know a single CPA-Dentist. Sorry.
My family swears by O’Shea & O’Shea Family Dentistry in the Commerce Plaza building. Dr. Tim & Dr. Matt (father son duo) are both outstanding and all the hygenists are great, especially with kids (if that’s of any concern). http://www.osheadentistry.com
+1 on O’Shea and O’Shea. We’ve been going there for at least 25 years. I love that this father and son practice provides both experience and the latest best techniques. The staff is unfailingly cheerful and professional, I’ve never had to spend more than ten minutes in the waiting room and they have really early hours for those who need to go before work..
I was kind of dentist-phobic when I started going there – one of those people who leave claw-marks in the chair from sheer nervousness, no actually I guess it was terror. Dr. Tim O’Shea has a very calm manner and I (almost) enjoy going for my regular checkup and cleanings now.
+1 on Chet Burge, CPA and O’Shea & O’Shea for the dental work.
Thanks all!
Planning on having that much work done where you’ll be broke?
Go directly to Midtown, it’s worth it – Dr. George Michaels. Email: , this guy and his whole team are AWESOME!!!
So now we know what happened to WHAM! Lead singer went to dental school.
Drs. Stein and Frankel on Lawrenceville by the Home Depot. Hands down the best dentists I have ever been to. They are a family dentistry place so my 2 year old just had her first visit a few weeks ago. It was amazing. She laughed the whole time. http://www.2thdocs.com/
I posted this a month or 2 ago, with no response so I’ll try again…..
Any info/recommendations on any open CSAs now? I’ve perused the Georgia Organics site and I have to say it’s getting a little mindboggling. May need to do a spreadsheet just to compare the options.
Thanks in advance!
this from the oakhurst yahoo group this morning:
Hi Neighbors,
We are again joining the Jackson Lowe Vegetable Farm (formerly TurtleBend Farm) CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). (Wow, that’s a lot of parenthesis)
Our carport on Adams St is the local pick up location. If you live nearby and like to eat top quality local produce at a super price consider joining us for the new season.
This will be our 3rd year with Mecca and Adam Lowe and we are thrilled they will again grace our neighborhood with weekly deliveries of the best produce around. We are super picky about what we eat and we are never disappointed with Jackson Lowe’s product and service.
The deliveries start in late May, and continue for 26 weeks. The price works out to $25 a week per share. There is a payment plan in the application which you can find on their beautiful website
http://www.icontact-archive.com/0tVFvJc2hlrjwDqlMvZKZ-GybLk3acfq?w=3
I will try to add this address to the Links box- wish me luck. Or email me for it.
We need a minimum of 10 participants for our site. Last year we had a wait list, so if you want to do this, act now. You can pay later. Deliveries are on Wednesday afternoon. Subscribers supply a cooler and ice pack which is kept on our porch and used to keep the veggies happy during the hot summer. I refreeze the icepacks each week and put them back into your cooler on Wednesdays.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Judy
404-259-6557
511 Adams St
A friend of a friend of mine is an organic farmer with a drop-off at the intersection of Scott and Medlock (at the church I think). For more info and sign-up:
http://risenshine.csasignup.com/members
Riverview Farms CSA delivers to the Oakhurst Community Garden. I think their website is grassfedcow.com.
So under DM’s Morning Metro post, I saw an article linking to a video on Decatur’s great dog parks. The wife and I have just taken our dog to the Adair dog park for the first time since they put the new fencing up, cutting the park in half. And it just reminded me to say that it sucks. That’s it really, the city’s new fence totally sucks. First time since I moved here that I’ve actually been disappointed with a decision the city made.
Ugh, haven’t been there in a while, but thats awful news. That park had everything going for it-playground, dog park and location. And shade. I still don’t get why they had to put the fence up in the first place
The old fence at the drainage channel was flooding a nearby house since it was collecting debris across it. They had to remove it to prevent the flooding, so in order to keep the pups from running free, they ran the fence up the sides. At least that’s my take on it.
I agree completely. Is it really the best solution? Does anyone know how they reached this decision? Couldn’t they come up with anything better? Who makes the final call? It really diminishes the parks beauty and atmosphere.
The “final call” has been made. The “new” fence is complete. No more pups jumping across the drainage ditch. Lots of $, instead of just having the leaves, etc cleared.
Re compost sources: Has the city relocated the composted yard waste site from Scott Park while the rec center and fire station are being renovated? Tree trunks now sadly fill both bins.
Also, I understand that Little Creek Farm has postponed their Manure Day until the end of summer.
Does anyone know of other readily available sources?
I’m the head of the DHS Community garden and we have a big black pile of the county compost. We don’t mind if y’all take that stuff…but please don’t take the compost in the bins.
If you want an inexpensive good haircut, Mike at Great Clips can’t be beat. Plus, he’s crazy fast and you’ll be in and out of there in no time with no appointment necessary.
Just got back from the German Bakery. My god, that place is heaven. Walked in the door and one of the extremely nice employees gave me a petit four that I was drooling over. They’ve got a ScoutMob going on right now. 50% off – up to $15 value, total. Nearly everyone in the store was using the coupon. And did I mention how EXTREMELY NICE the employees were. No snark. No oh-gawd-here-comes-another-thrifty-coupon-user eye rolls. Way to stay classy, German Bakery!! You can bet your chocolate lace cookies, I’ll be back. (Now … off to find something in my closet with a forgiving waistline …)
Your post just made me so happy because I could have sworn the German Bakery closed down a couple of years ago. I had no idea they were still open (I don’t frequent the area they are located in). I guess I know where I’m taking the kiddos this afternoon!
You must have missed the big announcement and posts around a year or two ago about this. The previous owner did close but then the employees banded together and reopened it. Everything Revenue-Negative Household (a.k.a., My unruly brood is here to clog your sidewalks and erode your tax) said is true–great bakery, great staff. I love that place too and also bemoan the fact that my daily sherpaing does not take me that way.
My figure really wishes you hadn’t just posted this… and off I go! Thanks!
My figure is round and doesn’t mind a bit.
I just got home from the bakery, and even though I got there 40 minutes after closing, the woman waved me on in. I got a German chocolate cake, kuchen, loaf of rye, and 6 cookies – all for $12. I must say, even without the ScoutMob coupon, their prices are really low. I can’t wait to go back for coffee and a donut!
Now, how to eat all of this….
Their apple fritters are so good, they make my eyes roll back in my head. S’truth!
Dang. One angel says “Count your calories.” One angel says, “Count your savings.” Which is the good angel? I hate to miss a bargain and I can always diet tomorrow…think I’ve just answered my own question.
Don’t count the calories, just don’t do it. I took a friend who had never been there last week to pick up some goodies with me, and he wound up walking out with a little box full of treats for himself. He later told me that he had finished the whole box by the end of the afternoon!
Silent Auction Tonight (3/23) for the DeKalb History Center.
6pm at the old courthouse.
Proceeds benefit the History Center.
Admission is free (but donation is suggested)
Info (404) 373-1088 ext. 22
Does anyone have a recommendation for a personal trainer who is not associated with a particular gym? I would really like to move into my next decade in better shape but am not interested in joining a gym. Someone who isn’t say, nineteen and weighs 110 would be nice, too. thanks!
ExcellenceinExercise.com – Kristian is the real deal.
I know you say you don’t want to join a gym, but I would at least visit CrossFit and talk to Eric. They provide one-on-one training in addition to their regular classes.
My husband owns a non-membership-based gym on the corner of Piedmont and Cheshire Bridge called Strength Lab.
He offers group exercise classes as well as personal training.
You can check out his sight at strength-lab.com.
Chiming in with exactly what you don’t want as well- At least take a tour of the gym in Dekalb Medical Center. No membership, you just pay month to month and they have trainers on the floor at all times. Solid gym, nice people, classes and a pool. I would say on a whole it’s more of an older/health conscious crowd, definitely not a meat market environment.
A shout out for the drama students at the high school for a nice show: Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves. They really did a nice job. One more show saturday night at 7 for anyone that is interested, think tickets are still available. The new performing arts center is beautiful with comfy seats and great acoustics. Highly recommended for kids and adults.
Anyone know why Clairmont before N. Decatur Rd was closed today?
I had a master plan done of my yard by a Landscape architect – I now need a landscaper who is cost effective and can offer alternatives. Anyone know of anyone?
See AJC Series on “Cheating our children: Suspicious school test scores across the nation” at http://www.ajc.com/news/cheating-our-children-suspicious-1397022.html. The whole NCLB thing was flawed. Testing companies, educational consultants, and educational administrators may have profited from this but the children did not. What wouldn’t I give to never hear the terms CRCT, AYP, school of excellence etc. again. I should have kept track of some of the sadly hilarious questions and absurd answers I’ve heard over the years either from practice CRCT exams sent home or online (based on previous exam questions) or questions from the real exam that my children took and then quoted. I could have published them as a humor book–“Cracking up with the CRCT”, “CRCT for Dummies (As in the people who write the test, not those who take it!)”, or “Teaching to the CRCT–the Light Side!
Public education has to be one of the most important but difficult activities that a modern democracy can tackle and I have great admiration for truly talented educators. But I have gotten jaded with all the curricula and initiatives I’ve seen over the years. Not because they aren’t great ideas conceptually–but education seems to fail repeatedly in the implementation and measurement. I’m thinking that we may need less new, exciting approaches that look good on CVs and make careers and more elbow grease in implementation. What if all the money spent on the administration of NCLB and flawed testing had been spent in true classroom support and instruction? Would we better off today?
A friend who is moving to Decatur has asked the following about Oakhurst:
“Decaturites: Anyone know anyone who lives in Village View condos between Olympic and Jefferson in Oakhurst? I’m trying to find out what’s with the lack of pedestrian gates on the Jefferson side…”
I can’t help her with an answer…can you?
I think peds just use the car gate on that side.
What’s a pedestrian gate?
Anyone have a recommendation for a good place for clothes alteration?
i can’t recall the name but there is a place in the kinkos/fed ex plaza on n. decatur rd. that i have used before with great success.
The dry cleaner around the corner from the guitar lesson place that is down from Melton’s at North Decatur and Scott and Medlock. Nice lady whose name I cannot remember and very reasonable prices.
I’ve had several suits done at Avondale Expert Alterations in Avondale Estates (right in one of the faux Tudor building right downtown). Haven’t been there in a while but, if it’s still open, I highly recommend it. It appeared to be a one-woman operation and the service was good, fast and reasonably priced. Plus, you’ve got to love when the little old says “I can let this out but much better you lose some weight here” while pointing to my belly. I was not offended because she was absolutely right
Calling all DOG LOVERS: [And apologies to DM for a very long post, but if you will indulge it, I know that this is a great forum to reach the intended audience!]
If you’ve ever thought about fostering a dog, especially if you have a soft spot for older, abandoned dogs, I’ve got a great opportunity for you. We are currently fostering the sweet old girl featured on DM a few weeks ago:
http://www.medlockpark.org/2012/03/golden-retriever-found-city-of-decatur.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+medlockpark%2FgzyG+%28Medlock+Area+Neighborhood+Association+%28MANA%29%29&utm_content=Google+Reader
You can also see other pictures of her on her Petfinder profile:
http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/22475469
She is looking even better now after Carmen at the Fur Side worked her magic but unfortunately I can’t figure out how to attach new pictures, if that’s even possible.
It appears that she was purposely abandoned in City of Decatur, probably because her family could not or would not deal with her medical issues. She has a fairly large growth on her hind leg. It seems to be non-cancerous and can likely be reduced, if not removed, after her other issue is dealt with. She is also heartworm positive. However, her bloodwork came back looking good so the vet will be able to treat her for it. She will need daily doses of doxicycline for 30 days, beginning Monday, before she begins the actual heartworm treatment.
When she begins the heartworm treatment, she will need to be pretty much confined to a crate in a low stress environment for several weeks. We CANNOT provide that. We have two other dogs. She gets along just great with the younger male but she and our older female cannot even be in the same room. It does not appear that this situation has hope of getting much better. We need to find her a home, whether permanent or even just temporary as FODA searches for a good forever home for her.
Despite her problems with our Stella, she is as sweet as possibly can be with every person she has met and with our other dog. She would likely do well in any house without another female alpha-type. The folks at Frogs to Dogs (training) and the Fur Side (grooming) have been helping us with her transition and would likely be willing to assist anyone willing to help us save her from the needle. All medical treatments will be paid by FODA (I believe – I can confirm if anyone is interested and this is an issue!). All you need to provide is a place for her to stay and a lot of love, which she is sure to return.
If you have even the slightest interest in helping this wonderful old lady, please call or email me at any time. You are welcome to come meet her and see how sweet she is.
If you’ve read this far, whether you can help or not, THANK YOU!
J_T
404-414-3110 (what the hell, I was completely “outed” last week anyway)
When is the suburban plaza starting its makeover? I am almost sorry to ask but I wanted to know when all that construction will begin and therefore traffic
The latest update from the Medlock Neighborhood Association is that the traffic study was rejected outright by the county. As well, there have been no permits issued for demolition or building at this point.
One reason there have been no permits issued is that no plans have been submitted. Selig said it would be April at the earliest, probably May before any plans were ready.
Homeowners seek to shut down program for developmentally-disabled adults!
Dear Frazer Center Parents and Family Members,
Over the weekend, we learned that some of our adjacent neighbors distributed letters throughout the Lake Claire neighborhood announcing that legislation will be introduced before the Atlanta City Commission THIS WEDNESDAY morning at 10:30 am which would disallow mobility buses and other large vehicles from entering The Frazer Center via Ridgewood Road and the back entrance.
In short, this proposed legislation would eliminate our ability to transport adults with developmental disabilities to our Center by way of Ridgewood; in effect, forcing us to close the program and deny services to over 60 adults for whom there are very limited options available in the City of Atlanta.
For the last several months, The Frazer Center has expended over $65,000 in engineering and legal fees as well as countless hours of personnel time in attempting to address concerns of our neighbors on Ridgewood Road. We have been working with DeKalb County and City of Atlanta officials and negotiating, in good faith, with a coalition of neighbors to address zoning concerns for our property–a process which is taking a great deal of time, energy and resources.
In November 2011, engineers determined that the capacity of the bridge on our main entrance road is limited to 4 tons which is the typical weight of a personal vehicle. It cannot bear the weight of buses and sanitation vehicles and maintain its integrity. We have been very clear about our intentions to fix the bridge, and our plan to do so is currently underway.
Please help us advocate on behalf of the adults with disabilities whom we serve. We urge all Frazer Center supporters to take the following actions as soon as possible:
1) Contact the office of City Council Member Natalyn Archibong expressing your opposition to this proposed legislation.
(404) 330-6048
2) Contact DeKalb County Commissioner Jeff Rader expressing your opposition to this proposed legislation going before the Atlanta City Council.
(404) 371-2863
3) If you live in the City of Atlanta and have a different representative on The City Council, please contact your representative expressing your opposition to this proposed legislation. http://citycouncil.atlantaga.gov/contacts.htm
4) If at all possible, please make an effort to attend the Atlanta City Council meeting this Wednesday morning at 10:30 am in Room 2, Atlanta City Hall. City Hall is located at 55 Trinity Avenue Southwest, Atlanta, GA 30303. We are forming carpools to assist with transportation to the meeting. Please contact Sherri Breunig at or 404-377-3836 ext. 139 if you plan to attend and would like to carpool.
http://www.thefrazercenter.org/
The Frazer Center has operated in its present location SINCE 1952!!
DM: I would love to hear more about this issue if you should choose to explore. What are the concerns, stated or suspected, of Ridgewood or other Lake Claire homeowners? How could they be addressed without shutting down a unique, long-term program for adults with developmental disabilities?
Thanks, AHID. I agree. This is a really important issue.
I’m sure there are at least two sides to this story. Here’s one of them:
http://lakeclaire.info/