Deanne sends along this announcement…

There will be a Decatur Police Community Meeting on Thursday, August 29th from 7-8pm at The Church at Decatur Heights (735 Sycamore Drive).

The Decatur Heights and Sycamore Ridge Neighborhood Watches invite all District 1 residents to come hear the latest update on recent citywide crimes, pick up safety tips, and learn more about Community Policing and Neighborhood Watch programs. The speakers will be Police Chief Mike Booker, Deputy Chief Keith Lee, and Sergeant Jennifer Ross, the Public Information Officer for the Decatur Police.

Also attending will be District 1 Commissioners Fred Boykin and Scott Drake and At-Large Commissioner Mayor Jim Baskett. We hope to see you there!

It’s that time of year again!

There is, as always, so much to do. The DBF website is full of information, including schedules for Saturday and Sunday events.

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The youngest, and only surviving speaker at that historic event, will be delivering the Keynote Address on Friday. If you were lucky enough to secure tickets to hear Congressman John Lewis, author of March, then you’ll be off to a great start.

Tickets to the Kidnote Address, featuring the great Tomie dePaola, are still available however, but running out fast.

New this year will be art | DBF, the Civil and Human Rights Track (among others), Books as Art, and two stages at the beautifully remodeled Decatur Recreation Center.

The AJC came up with a list of “10 Events Worth Bookmarking.” I do not have a single objection, and am particularly excited about Jason Mott.

I may have a bias, but there is a truly great list of authors and illustrators coming to the Children’s and Teen Stages, as well as some special events elsewhere (including Martin Luther King, III). Fans of kids and YA literature should be thrilled. You can find more information here.

As co-owner of Little Shop of Stories, I’ll be working all weekend (and looking for Waldo). Living the fantasy of a free range book lover, here is a sample schedule of just some of the very many events I’d like to see besides kids and teens and those listed by the AJC:

Saturday

10am: Richard Besser

11:15am: Amanda Ripley and Christine Gross-Loh

1pm: Peter Kaminsky (bacon!)

1:45pm: Chuck Leavell

3pm: Sheri Joseph and Susanna Daniel

4:15pm: Lily Koppel

Sunday

12pm: Theresa Davis, Kodak Harrison, and Collin Kelley

1:15pm: Alysia Abbott

2:30pm: Yangsze Choo and Charlie Lovett

3:45pm: Rob Weintraub (the man is a walking baseball encyclopedia)

5pm: Ward Briggs and Bronwen Dickey