Free-For-All Friday 2/7/14
Decatur Metro | February 7, 2014Feel 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.
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.
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Rick Julian
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If you need a funky Valentine’s gift, Mingei (the little place that used to be next to Java Monkey), is open this weekend. They now inhabit part time a spot near Duck’s no-longer-cosmic Kitchen in that place on College. They have some nice jewelry, Mexican stamped hearts and other great gifty kind of stuff.
Saturday 10-5, Sunday 12-5.
Thanks! I love that store and didn’t realize they had moved. I’ll have to check them out!
Any idea what keeps leaking into the right lane on Commerce at the Decatur Medical Plaza?
Tree tears.
Thanks, I needed a laugh this morning
I assumed it was water but now that I think about it …
Just a guess, but it looks like there’s a drainage problem with the top level of that parking deck.
Best local place for an oil change on a Honda? Looking for someone who knows how to deal with the odd stopper or whatever it is on the Honda that seems to continually stump the Jiffy Lubes of the world.
Try Decatur Pure. They’re good on most anything.
I second Decatur Pure, they have done a great deal of work on my Acura and have always been right on spot.
Pete’s Import Garage on DeKalb Ave is great. That’s where I take my Honda. Really nice guys, honest and communicative. Also, reasonable prices.
I take my Pilot to Summit Auto for everything.
Avondale Independent Honda. Honda only shop, nice family, fair and honest with me for nearly 20 years
We are adopting a puppy tomorrow and are looking for recommendations on all things small doggy! (Mutt and Mama is 11 lbs.) Vet? Daycare? Boarding? Dog walker? Pet sitter? Best store for pet supplies? Essential toys? I haven’t had a pet in 20 years but we passed the interview and home inspection and our puppy will be old enough to come home tomorrow!
Village Vets is really great, but we have also had amazing service from Clairmont Animal Hospital.
+1 for Clairmont Animal Hospital. I really like them. (And I think I’ve used every vet clinic around at some point or another.) If you need someone to make house calls, please consider Dr Karen Jordan/Compassionate Care. She’s EXCELLENT.
There is a small-dogs-only daycare called K&B Elite on New Street across the street from Rex & Roxy’s. (I have no experience with K&B Elite since my dogs are gigantic.)
Love K&B. My terrier goes there a few times a week for daycare and boards there when we are out of town.
Dearborn is the best and much less expensive than VV. love the vets and staff.
We use and enjoy Decatur Village Vets. If you go looking for Dearborn, note that they recently moved from their longtime location on College Avenue. According to their website, their new address is 235 Dekalb Industrial Way.
Village Vets is far too pricy for me.
+1. We bring our dogs to Clairmont. We’ve been going for over 13 years.
Clairmont was more expensive than VV when we looked around 2 years ago
For boarding/day care, we love Barking Hound Village Lofts. Our dog always has a great time with them – – you can tell by the way he runs off with the handlers the minute we drop him off. We have many friends who also use BHV and have only heard of good experiences from them. They also take care of special needs dogs – blind, deaf, old – and are amazing with them. Brooks, the manager, has a real passion for making sure all the animals are taken care of and seems to love them almost as much as their owners.
I won’t recommend our vet but I have heard great things about Inman Park Animal Hospital. Several friends take their animals there with nary a complaint. We plan on using them for our next addition, down the road.
Also, I would HIGHLY recommend puppy classes (once the puppy is old enough & has had all of his/her vaccinations). A good place for classes is Jabula Dog Academy in Avondale Estates. The training is really more for the owners than the dog! But, it’s good to socialize dogs early, with different people & other dogs.
http://www.jabuladogs.com/puppy-class-decatur/
Also, when the dog is older, Jabula offers a “pint sized” obedience class geared toward small adult dogs, where they will learn basic obedience (sit, stay, lie down, leave it, etc.) but also a few small dog tricks (shake, roll over, spin around, etc.). They also have agility, which if you have a terrier mix would be a great way to exercise both the mind & body.
http://www.jabuladogs.com/atlanta-pint-size-dog/
+1 for Clairmont Animal Hospital and +++1 for Jabula! My dogs absolutely adore Gill and Kate, and so do I.
We take our rescues (1 dog, 3 cats) to Dearborn. They have a beautiful new space towards the YDFM, just outside the city next to wags-a-lot. Great doctors and they are more budget friendly than some of the other options.
I’m a Dearborn man. Or my animals are Dearborn animals…
I didn’t realize Dearborn saw marine mammals …
(hardee-har)
+1
Highly recommend Dekalb Veterinary Clinic on Lawrenceville. Dr. Katz is just incredible. They take care of police dogs so just make sure to leave your pot at home the day of your visit.
Don’t be too uptight about the fact that puppies chew absolutely everything, and thank god that’s just a phase. Try to post the 24 hr. emergency hospital information on your fridge.
If you wind up bathing them at home, the Burts Bees shampoo smells really nice and lathers better than anything I’ve ever used.
Lastly, I’ve always gotten collars and leashes at the pet shop on North Highland. They have a really unique selection compared to the pet smart types of places. The beds there are really expensive though.
As you can see, there are a lot of great boarding/daycare places around here. We’re very lucky for that. If you’ll be flying when you travel, I’ll add a plug for Pet Paradise which is next to Park ‘N Fly Plus near the airport. It’s very convenient for picking up your car and your dog. They have separate areas for sleeping and your dog can go in and out at his leisure. They also have a doggy pool! They took fantastic care of our older dog; gave him lots of love and attention. They even sent a sympathy card signed by the whole staff when they found out our old boy had passed.
Many good suggestions so far! Some thoughts:
1. Vets: All the local guys mentioned are good. Some of the comments about pricing may not be totally accurate, though. We avoided Village Vets for a long time because everybody said it was more expensive. We ended up there providentially with our last rescue and ended up switching all 3 of our dogs to them when we realized that there was little difference in pricing. Find the place you and your dog are most comfortable at and you’ll be fine.
2. Grooming: We LOVE Daniel at Furside. He is great with our dogs, including the biting bit*h and the blind old tumor ridden lady. They also have a self-wash station if you’re more DIY and just need a good bathing, not the full treatment. I highly recommend using that rather than bathing the dog at home. The cost is worth it just to not have to clean up afterward. Kirkwood Feed & Seed is also great for self-washing and if you can go during the week, it’s half-price on Mondays.
3. Food: We got suckered into the all-natural, grain-free, healthy choice dog food racket. After a few years of $50+ 30-pound bags of several different varieties, we found out that Costco sells their own brand (basically equivalent of Taste of the Wild, I believe) for about half the price (about $30 for 35-pounds). Our dogs love it and have happily eaten it for at least the last two years. You can indeed feed your dog a healthy diet for a price that wouldn’t give Clark Howard a heart attack.
Enjoy your new best friend!
No one can beat Rex and Roxy’s for daycare and boarding.
For vet services, consider Dearborn or Avondale Vet Hospital. Both are far more reasonably priced than Village Vets.
Thanks for all of the wonderful suggestions and advice!
+1 for Jabula and I agree with all the posts below about Petmeisters. They’re awesome. Also, I highly recommend reading “The Art of Raising a Puppy” and “How to Be Your Dog’s Best Friend” by the Monks of New Skete.
Congratulations ! What is the breed/breeds of your new resident?
Daycare – Wag-A-Lot, been using them for 10 years.
Vet – Village Vet, maybe more expensive than some, but excellent care
Pet store – big chains all about the same, Petco and Pet Supermarket are closest
Toys – expendable things to chew on, at least at first
Puppy is a terrier mutt– don’t know who the daddy is. Thanks for those recommendations!
I second the puppy classes. Terriers can be a little stubborn, but are easily trainable.
Puupy socialization is really, really important, especially if your newbie is leaving his littermates at a young age. It will make a huge difference in how he/she interacts with other dogs and the world in general. But don’t wait! They’re sponges at this age and alot of good can be taught and alot of bad avoided if you get them started right.
We have a 13 month old that STILL goes to socialzation class, as well as obedience. It is a delight to have a dog that’s comfy around others (we have another who isn’t). And we love letting him play with others in a supervised environment.
We take him to Frogs to Dogs in Kirkwood and have been very happy with their programs. You may have to get past a certain point in your vaccinations in order to come to class, though. If you’d rather go the private route, I’d recommend Anna Bettina at Happy Healthy Pup to get started.
Congratulations on your new addition!!
Thanks to all who responded to my pet grooming query a couple of weeks ago with recommendations to see Daniel at Furside. We did and we’re glad. The aged kitty pitched the tantrum of her life but no blood was spilled and she’s now rid of the dreadlocks that were making her life (and mine) miserable. Daniel has the touch–kind, gentle, patient, but in charge.
Phew! As one of the enthusiastic recommenders, I’m glad there was no kitty catastrophe. And thanks for posting this. It reminded to call Daniel to get our two old lady dogs appointments for next week.
Me too! Mr. Stinky needs to go get beautified next week. We love Furside.
Hey all! Any recommendations for a contractor/wood-worker/renovations place that does small jobs? We’re looking to put in a window seat and a couple built-in bookcases. Thanks so much!
Kate…I recommend James at Otter Hollow Designs. otterhollowdesign.com
He was out of the renovation/carpentry business for a while, but he is kick starting his business again. He rebuilt part of my sun-room and did a fantastic job.
He has done commercial and residential build outs/renovations. however his skill really shows in the small custom work he does. He is a skilled craftsman and does excellent work that you would be proud to have in your home. Also, my sister will be requesting him to build two bookcases for her in April.
Kate, John Williams ((770) 722 0360) installed the built-ins in our addition a couple of years ago, and he did such a good job, we had him come back and build us more for another part of the house. He does great work and is reasoably priced.
what are the price ranges you are getting on the built in bookcases/size? Considering doing same project, but curious on pricing if you care to share. thanks!
Just a reminder to be thinking about what kind of tree you may want or need: size, location, etc. We are putting the finishing touches on the tree menu for the Decatur Arbor Day Festival , and hope to have it posted soon.
Any chance for American Beech? Or any other native or regional marcescent species?
Beech was on Ryan Gainey’s picks ( he got to go first ) – we are trying to source that one . If you like natives, you will love the menu.
Ryan didn’t want figs?
I’d love a money tree
I’d settle for a ticket oak
In all seriousness, I think everybody will be impressed with the menu of available trees that Chad is putting together. He’s got some incredibly knowledgable folks curating the list and providing their expertise to identify specimens that are uniquely suited to Decatur. Whether you believe in unfettered property rights or think that would should be required to get a permit to mow our lawns, I doubt you’ll be able to argue with the quality and variety of these trees!
Count me on board for lawn-cutting permits! A barrier of red tape is exactly the incentive I need to keep putting it off.
Ditto. I always thought you needed a permit to NOT mow it and have been afraid we’re often on the border of a violation.
I’m impressed with the entire idea of what he’s putting together. I could definitely see an idea like this really taking off and being something that’s repeated every year for ever and ever. Maybe the city would be willing to donate the same amount they paid to consultants, in trees, to his efforts. You never know until you ask.
Chadwick– Anthracnose resistant dogwoods like “Appalachian Spring.”
We have sourced Cherokee Princess in a 15 gallon size.
(678) 640-1858
Craig is the BEST pet sitter in Oakhurst/East Lake
Agreed. They send us a picture every day of our dogs during their walk. Here is a video with a year’s worth of shots!
That’s so cool! Thank you both for the recommendation.
That’s really awesome. Did they make the video for you or did you do it yourself with their pictures? Because I would use them for a year just to have that!
I actually put it together for them. I did one last year too, and I like it better because the one dog went from puppy to full grown during that year. Unfortunately, at least on my screen, this isn’t coming up on this site in a very good format. It’s cutting parts off. Not sure why that is.
We love Petmeisters!
I think Petmeisters is great!! Allison took care of our kitties over the holidays. I’ve had pet sitters in the past that have lied to me, telling me my cats came out to play. My cats don’t like strangers! But something about Allison’s demeanor actually had my snooty Siamese coming downstairs to stare at her when she came by. Petmeisters will also send daily updates with pics. I felt really good that my kitties were in safe, caring hands while I was gone. Highly recommend!
Did anyone receive the American Community Survey from the US Census? Just curious if you answered all the questions.
Surveys avoid me like the plague. I skew their results.
Every 10 years I answer question #1 (How many people live at this address?). The incredibly invasive ACS gets tossed in the trash. You’re under no obligation to fill it out and return it.
Based on a post I read here a few months ago, I contacted Hugh Saxon in the City Management Office and inquired about replacement of a dead dogwood tree in front of my house. The tree was located in the easement between the sidewalk and the street.
I received a prompt response from Hugh himself, asking my address and what color dogwood I would like to replace the dead one. Then magically a few weeks later….I had a new dogwood tree where the dead one had been.
Thank you Hugh and the City of Decatur for fast, courteous, excellent service. I couldn’t be happier about this interaction with our great city and its employees.
Two weeks ago, crews were digging up the road on the corner of Adair and Hibernia. They replaced it with gravel. Now it’s a huge messy pothole. Any updates on when they will pave it?
Hi everyone!
School is out February 17-21 for the kiddos so send them to The Science of Fun for our awesome hands-on STEM camp! You can register for half days or a partial week (just write what you want in the comments section of the registration form).
Also, summer camp registration will begin Monday.
Ages 5+
http://www.TheScienceofFun.org
Thanks!
Kris Webb
Registration link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/17RfM7NH74-1HLFc3BY__oBRUfH8UOtjCkp9R_U9s9fE/viewform
I hope that this is an appropriate venue for this request, but I am seeking recommendations for an OB/GYN in (or near) Decatur.
Dr. Catherine Bonk on Winn Way. My physician friends see her as do I. But like many Drs. these days, it takes a while to get a non-urgent appt.
Great doc but becoming ridiculously difficult to get an appt.
It should get easier when Decatur institutes its one-child-only policy, right?
Honestly, I think there’s a partial solution to be found in some kind of cap-and-trade scheme that incorporates value of tree canopy versus cost of children (and I’m not talking just schools–those little ankle-biters suck up a ton of Rec program resources, too). Account for everything that each household brings to the table…
Dr Bonk is great but her medical staff I was not remotely impressed with.
Dr. Bonk was my nickname in college.
That deserves at least one LOL.
Dr. Bonk delivered 2/3 of our monkeys. She is great.
+1 for Bonk. She is in a group of 5 doctors and all are amazing, especially Dr. Mandeville!
+1 for Dr. Mandeville! My husband teases me that I’m in love with her, but she really is the best.
Another Art show at Trackside Tavern tomorrow night.Come see what local artists have cooked up for this “Rock and Roll” themed show.The quality of work has been getting more and more impressive
thanks for listening
https://www.facebook.com/events/570547426367275/
It’s been a long time since I rock and rolled,
It’s been a long time since I did the stroll.
Ooh, let me get it back, let me get it back,
Let me get it back, baby, where I come from.
It’s been a long time, been a long time,
Been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time. Yes it has.
“Rock and Roll”
-Led Zeppelin
Cool, and if you’re really into Rock and Roll photography (and Blues and Country) I suggest checking out this guy. http://www.kirkwestphotography.com/
He is a photographer first, but also was the Allman Brothers tour manager for 20 years. He even owned the Big House in Macon for a while before it was turned into a museum. His photography is great…and it’s for sale.
Yeah! I stumbled into a showing of his photos in a gallery down in Macon last year. I damn near dropped $150 on a photo of Johnny Cash, but caught myself.
Would have been totally worth it. How about the one of Bob Marley with his dreads arcing around his head?
So I had some delicious banh mi at Lee’s Bakery today, and, after recalling that it was thanks to raves on this site that I gave them a shot last year, I thought of a possible best-for-the-money poll: Best Restaurants on Buford Hwy. Not Decatur-centric I know, but we don’t really have anything here that competes directly with the type of cuisine there. Any interest?
Probably want to wait for an otherwise slow news day. Given some prior responses, I’d imagine a lot of folks will have a lot of ideas. I’ve got a list of 10 different places in my head already!
Good idea.
Any recommendations for a T-Shirt printer for Decatur Arbor Day Festival?
Sure. Here are two. Decatur Screenprint, right in downtown Decatur. I have not done business with them directly but I know I wear many of their shirts from a variety of festivals. Bubbling Creek, ask for Greg Barner, 404-644-9483; I’m willing to be 90% of the households in Decatur have at least one of his shirts. He has done tons of festival business.
Thanks! I’ll try those first.
Trees Decatur, an all-volunteer group of residents, neighbors, and business owners have spent the last three weeks preparing recommendations on how to improve the City’s draft Tree Ordinance so it is more effective in preserving and enhancing our community’s urban forest. Our ideas focus on: (1) protecting trees on lots where building/development is taking place; and (2) rewarding those who whose lots contain a high percentage of tree canopy and/or specimen trees to our urban forest. Please visit our website to learn more and tell us what you think! Find us at: http://www.treesdecatur.org. Thank you!!
Nope. Try again. You literally give residents veto power over a neighbor’s plans to renovate/expand if they happen to have the misfortune of having a boundary tree. (Likely unconstitutional BTW). Not to mention your “exemption” is hollow and pointless as it doesn’t apply to renovations. How many residents in Decatur take a tree down for the hell of it? Further, many of your suggestions are much more onerous than those universally shot down in the proposed ordinance. An outright prohibition of removing more than 50% of one’s canopy? You are actually creating disincentives to buying a lot with trees. No exemption for not expanding impervious coverage? Utter effing ridiculous. I can’t build up without planting if I don’t have 50%? Wanna fine me if I prune my shrubs too short too?
This isn’t an improvement. It is 3 steps back.
I made the mistake of keeping reading. “Reasonable” to spend 10% to save a tree. So, I spent $75k on my addition (which didn’t require tree removal), so I would have to spend an additional $7,500? What about a $600k new home? $60k. How high were you when you dreamed this up? Cause it ain’t based in reality.
Let me add that your “improvements” are counterproductive. People are working to find middle ground, but you headed in the opposite direction.
On second thought, keep it up. You’re efforts actually make a tree ordinance less likely.
Catherine, one of my favorite comments on this blog “I like trees, I like grass, I like growing vegetables”
Decatur cannot be an urban forest and follow the 2010 strategic plan. There are too many things that are in conflict with each other.
We can educate people about trees, try to plant them often and in thoughtful places. Come join the tree party…..
Pleases check out this tree petition that was drafted and contributed to by residents who attended the ad hoc tree meeting which was organized by DM readers. This petition tries to capture a broad number of concerns regarding the Jan 21st ordinance, which hopefully will be considered by Commissioiners during their Mar 3 work session. Other than saying that the canopy goal should be accomplished through voluntary efforts, it does not give suggested fixes, as those best come through the official community participation process. If you sign and/or support, please forward it to friends and neighbors within the City. Here’s the link:
http://www.change.org/petitions/city-commissioners-of-the-city-of-decatur-ga-draft-a-new-tree-ordinance-proposal-for-the-city-of-decatur-ga
What’s up with the road block at Oakview and 2nd Avenue? Police are checking licenses. Officer said “just checking”. Possibly related to yesterday’s burglary?
Could be.
Show me your papers.
So in light of the impending Snowpocalypse II, anyone know where I can pick up a set of fireplace tools? Home Depots around town appear to be out.
The Hearth and Patio Shop on Main St. in Tucker.