As the Decatur City Commission annual retreat starts today, here’s an item from last week’s meeting that is worth passing along.

The Monday before last, the Decatur City Commission unanimously tabled the YMCA’s request to rezone two residential lots on Maediris Drive, covered HERE, citing varying levels of and reasons for discomfort about the plan that would expand the institutional zoning into the residential neighborhood. This followed almost two hours of discussion and presentations from the applicant and residents, along with a lengthy discussion by the commission.

Mayor Baskett first suggested tabling the item “indefinitely”, but then amended his motion to say that it would be tabled until the applicant again requests to come before the commission.  The mayor stated that he’d like to see any revised plan exclude any rezoning of the two residential lots on Maediris Drive.

You can view the full video of the item on the city’s website.

Melissa Forgey at the DeKalb History Center sends along this announcement…

Bring your children to Storytelling this summer! 10 – 11 a.m. most Wednesdays at the historic Biffle Cabin, 720 W. Trinity Pl., Decatur 30030 (Behind the Swanton House)

For ages 6 – 12. $4 per child for members or $6 per child for non-members. Reservations are suggested. Call 404-373-1088 extension 22 or email [email protected] for reservations  or information. Additional information can be found on each session on our webpage at www.dekalbhistory.org.

• June 5, Fun with Brer Rabbit and Friends with Josie Bailey

• June 12, Gotcha! Trickster Tales with Cathy Kaemmerlen

• June 19, Tales of the Gullah with LaDoris Davis

• June 26, Georgia Tales and Tails from Possums to Gourds with Cathy Kaemmerlen

• July 10, The Tapestry Cats with Ann Ritter

• July 17, Take Me Out to the Ballgame! With Deborah Strahorn

•  July 24, Appalachian Folktales with LaDoris Davis

• July 31, Fiddlin’Dan the Mountain Man with Reuben Haller

Elm Street, Avondale Estates, GA (pic courtesy of Amy Herr Photography)

Public Schools Enrollment Changes in the Atlanta Region from Atlanta Regional Commission on Vimeo.

Lewis points us to this recent video posted on the Atlanta Regional Commission’s website doing a quick overview of changes to the Atlanta metropolitan area’s school systems since 2000 and 2010.  Take a look!  A couple of interesting views of CSD’s changes vs. the rest of Atlanta in there.

One often takes for granted what one has. I have read so many very, very good books written by Atlanta area authors that I tend to forget how good we have it. Then I’ll read a particularly excellent one and the realization of the quantity of our superb local talent hits home.

This happened recently with a reading of Susan Rebecca White‘s A Place at the Table. (White, an Atlanta native, is on the faculty of Emory’s Creative Writing Program.) The ‘local’ part is inescapable: a substantial part of the novel takes place right here in Decatur during the 1970s and there is a key relationship within the book inspired by that of Scott Peacock (formerly of Watershed) and Edna Lewis. The ‘quality’ part is equally apparent. White’s three main characters are thoughtfully complex and, as their lives intertwine, more layers are added.

A book release celebration for A Place at the Table is being held at the Decatur Library this Sunday at 7:30pm.

Also of note Sara Shepard, author of all those Pretty Little Liars books, is coming to Decatur this week. Whoohoooo!

This Week:

Annalee Newitz, author of Scatter, Adapt and Remember: How Humans Will Survive a Mass Extinction, Wednesday, May 29th at 7:15pm, Decatur Library, sponsored by Georgia Center for the Book, free.

John Scalzi, author of The Human Division, Thursday, May 30th at 7pm, Eagle Eye Book Shop, free.

Susan Rebecca White, author of A Place at the Table, Sunday, June 2nd at 7:30pm, Decatur Library, sponsored by Georgia Center for the Book, free.

Mary Hood, author of Stories Waiting to be Heard: Selected Fiction from the Six Decades of the Georgia Review, Monday, June 3rd at 7:15pm, Decatur Library, sponsored by Georgia Center for the Book and the Georgia Review, free.

Junie B. Jones Bus Tour, Wednesday, June 5th at 4pm, Decatur Library, sponsored by Little Shop of Stories and Georgia Center for the Book, free.

Summer Crush Tour with Sara Shepard (author of Pretty Little Liars: Crushed), Katie Sise (author of The Boyfriend App), and Sarah Strohmeyer (author of How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True and Smart Girls Get What They Want), Wednesday, June 5th at 7pm, Little Shop of Stories, free.

Charlie Lovett, author of The Bookman’s Tale, Wednesday, June 5th at 7:15pm, Decatur Library, sponsored by Georgia Center for the Book, free.

Chris points out that Church Street is featured in the June Issue of Southern Living.  Can’t find any link for it yet, so here’s a photo of the page from the magazine.  Homegrown, Houndstooth Road, Leon’s, Green’s and Paper Plane all get a mention!

Cynthia writes in…

Hello Friends & Neighbors!
Tickets are now available for the 10th Annual Patio Party to support The Solarium on Sunday, June 2nd from 5-8PM! All proceeds help contribute to the mission of the Community Center of South Decatur.

Come enjoy tasty bites from the caterers on our preferred vendor list, cool sips from our wine & beer bars, fun live and silent auction with creations from several local artists and famous Decatur personalities, kids entertainment, games for adults, the not-to-be missed raffle (includes a free rental at the Solarium!) and live music by Auction House Letters.

Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door, $5 for seniors and children under 12 are free. Go to https://www.xorbia.com/e/ccsd/patioparty2013 to purchase tickets.

We still need volunteers! If you would like to volunteer at this year’s event or are an artist who would like to donate an art piece for this year’s auction please email: [email protected] .

Thanks for your continued support throughout the years!