Tonio sends in this pic of a new street sign that’s appeared along Brower Street near Decatur’s southern border.

From a press release for the event…

Make a Difference at the 5^th Annual Park Renewal Day

Register Your Team Now to Compete for $1,000 Grand Prize

September 2012 – On Saturday, November 3^rd, volunteers will return to Dearborn Park to root out invasive plants for the 5^th annual Park Renewal Day competition. Each year, this event has over 150 participants – all competing for prize money sponsored by Renewal Design-Build – clear more than an acre of English ivy and Chinese privet from the park. The event is organized by Renewal Design-Build, DeKalb County Parks, the City of Decatur’s Active Living division, and Park Pride. View video of past Park Renewal Day competitions here.

Teams will compete for the grand prize of $1,000, while second and third place teams will take home $500 and $300, respectively. Each team’s assigned plot will be scored by local experts and County park officials. A live band, food, and the awarding of prizes follow the competition.

Any group willing to help the park and raise money is eligible to compete. In past years, teams have included school organizations, neighborhood associations, nonprofits, and Scout troops. Last year’s grand prize went to Boy Scouts Troop 18. The winnings funded scholarships for boys who could not afford the Troop’s annual dues, uniforms, camps, and equipment. The Decatur High School Super Close Up Club used their second place winnings toward travel grants for their annual spring trip to Washington D.C.

Interested groups should register as soon as possible; the event is limited to ten teams. For more photos and registration information, visit ParkRenewalDay.com.

Disclosure: Renewal is a DM sponsor

From the September issue of the Decatur Focus…

We hoped we could report on a new development for the Bank of America site, Commerce Drive at Clairemont Avenue, but the project has been postponed while negotiations continue with the bank. This key gateway site has long been on our wish list for a redevelopment that would use the land more effectively than the current suburban-style bank branch and asphalt surface parking lot.

The proposed mixed-use development would have brought much-needed rental apartments to downtown, created a more attractive gateway to the downtown district and helped frame Commerce Drive much the same way as the Artisan did a few blocks to the west. We will continue to work on the project and hope that the bank will agree to plans to relocate into a temporary facility on the site to allow the development to move forward.

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