Kevin sends in a few photos of Dearborn Park trail being built between W. Dearborn Circle and Chevelle Lane.

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Al sends in this pic.  Do you know the location?  Al will have to tell us if we’re right or wrong, since I don’t know where it’s located either!

A recent Patch post reminded me that the Jan/Feb Decatur Focus announced the benefactors of this year’s Decatur Beer Festival grants.  According to the Focus, since 1998 the festival has given more than $550,000 back to the community.  Here are this year’s winners via the Focus…

Decatur’s MLK Service Project – to assist low-income senior homeowners with home maintenance and repair.

Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta – to support Power Hour, a comprehensive education and tutoring program.

I CARE – to provide transportation services to Decatur senior residents for doctor, hospital, and pharmacy appointments.

Decatur-area Emergency Assistance Ministry – to computerize the office for ability to do business with other organizations such as Atlanta Community Food Bank.

Poverty is Real – to coordinate efforts with musicians and businesses to help raise money for local organizations addressing poverty and homelessness.

Decatur Education Foundation – to support the start of a microfinance program that will make loans to students for entrepreneurial projects.

Our House – to support the Early Childhood Education program.

Wylde Center – for a solar pump with water reclamation system to bring water to the garden.

The Global Village School – to provide transportation to school and related educational and volunteer resources in Decatur.

On the Same Page – for supplies for each child in the reading program.

Housing Authority of Decatur – for the STAR after-school program.

DeKalb History Center – to create an Exhibits Design workshop.

Literacy Volunteers of Atlanta – to provide instruction to the adults in the Family Literacy Program.

Ahimsa House – to provide shelter and vet care for pets while their owners stay at family violence shelters.

Woodlands Garden – to help plant 50 trees in Woodlands Garden.

Oakhurst Cooperative Preschool – to replace a chain link fence on the property.

DeKalb Rape Crisis Center – to provide four months of Crisis Line answering service costs.

Jay sends along this link to this great Huffington Post article featuring Intown Ace Hardware that details how the store has succeeded in the “shadow” of Home Depot on Lawrenceville Hwy and their plans for the impending Suburban Plaza Walmart.  Here’s a taste…

Then, Home Depot arrived.

“We were right in their shadow,” said the 59-year-old [Dave] Jones, who co-owns Intown Ace Hardware with Tony Powers. The giant retailer moved in less than two miles away in 1995 and was selling acres of all the same items that the mid-sized Intown was selling — for a little less. Intown’s sales took a hit. “When they started, we were doing a mini version,” Jones said.

But what happened next serves as a lesson for any mom-and-pop shop out there living in fear of the day Big Box comes to town.

Feel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local issues not discussed here over the past week.

Comments close on Monday.