Late last week, Asst. City Manager Lyn Menne posted this message on The Decatur Minute blog...
OK, we agree, the new holiday decorations don’t measure up to our standards. Rather than looking like swags, they look like upside down trees and they just don’t work on the street lamps. Many of our holiday wreaths date back to 1996 and were starting to look shabby. We thought it would be a good idea to trade them out for something different and replace the oldest wreaths with an updated design. Boy were we wrong! So, when you mess up, admit it, take responsibility and fix it. The good news is that our old wreaths are still in storage. Our decorating company will begin switching them out but it may take a week as they fit us into their installation schedule. The “experiments” will be traded in for new wreaths next season and we will put this down as a lesson learned. In the meantime, just tell your friends that they are festive arrows pointing you in the direction of great shopping and wonderful food and have a very Happy Thanksgiving!
As of this morning, most of the “arrow” decorations are already down and replaced with the older, wreaths.
Did people actually complain about this?
Talk about first world problems! I can’t believe people complained! This is SO unimportant in the grand scheme of things. I sure hope the city can get a full refund, otherwise I would much prefer that they just use what they got instead of wasting any more money on it. Sheesh.
I never even got to see them!
As of this morning, there were still some up along Church Street (the block across from the Presbyterian church and Sapori di Napoli, Victory, et al. are)…
Shoot, we’re holed up in the house watching the Muppets and still in pajamas at 4pm. Maybe I’ll have my husband take a picture.
“Boy were we wrong! So, when you mess up, admit it, take responsibility and fix it.”
If only the White House and Congress could understand this kind of logic.
But there is a huge difference between messing up and lying.
And Obama Obsession Disorder is up bright and early today.
+1
Some folks did but we were already working on changing them out because they didn’t look like we expected and didn’t measure up to our standards.
Decatur rocks!!
Thank you Lyn! You guys are great!
Thank you, City leaders!!! The upside down trees looked horrible! We appreciate the fact that you listened to the citizens!
Lyn, this is why I call Decatur my hometown! Thank you so much for caring about the big things and even the small things.
Thank you for being so responsive. What a wonderful city we live in! Also, PLEASE let’s not cut down any more trees!!!
Silly complaints and a huge waste of tax dollars to implement this “do-over”.
No disagreement on the silliness factor but what are the huge costs you’re referencing? Are they detailed somewhere? And aren’t these types of decorative/promotional things funded by the DDA or DBA rather than general tax revenue?
Do malls and stores spend all that money on holiday decorations just because management is jolly and festive?
The health of the downtown retail district depends on an overall communal shopping experience. It is in the city’s best fiscal interest to support that, within reason. The Holiday merkins didn’t work, and the city solved the problem. Even if it’s tax dollars, it’s not a waste of money. This city’s success is based on attention to detail, and this is a fine example of it.
“holiday merkins” – nice
Farewell, Christmas pubes.
+++++1. But I think they are actually festive merkins.
no that you mention it, they did look oddly attractive.
missing them already.
Can’t they just turn the upside down trees around and have right side up trees?
this is time/money that could have been used to draw up another redistricting map. or lobby trader joe’s to come to town.
or, boycotting Family Dollar.
If you want that level of fiscal responsibility, you will have move to a red county like Cobb. The all-powerful Republican Guard wouldn’t let anyone waste $1000. They would use the sexually provacative greenery as a matter of priniciple.
Thank goodness we have counties like Cobb who know how to responsibly use tax dollars.
very brave of them.
OMG, what an interesting topic! Let me see, what can I add to the discussion that would improve the dialog? Government waste, excessive love of government, silliness over substance? I’ve got it!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! HAPPY HANUKAH!!! and HAVE A MERRY and BLESSED CHRISTMAS!!!
And the same to you 🙂
Anyone have a photo of the old ones? I missed them.
+1
I missed them too, but there seem to be a few up on Trinity still–at least they have something that looks like upside down trees.