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.
April 24, 2015 Free-For-All Friday 4/24/15 (137)
April 17, 2015 Free-For-All Friday 4/17/15 (79)
June 6, 2014 Free-For-All Friday 6/6/14 (159)
Parker Cross
At Home in Decatur
Cubalibre
brianc
brianc
Gail Rothman
Brad
4/5
Helvetia
elle
glockenspieler
Decatur Metro
AJC Attempts to Explain the “e” in Clairemont Avenue
I miss the Oakhurst Leaflet.
I miss the Leaflet Oakhurst.
I delivered it for years. Honestly, it seemed to be thin on content, and I had mixed feelings about the value of getting one to every house.
i miss commodore 64s.
goldmine!
I just laughed Fresca through my nose at this.
I see the property behind Fellini’s on the tracks has been sold and some construction action has started. Does anyone know what’s going in there?
Speaking of that strip along the tracks, MarBar is up and running. Thumbs up!
Townhomes, lotsa townhomes.
Any recommendations for knife sharpening around town, specifically a well-used Swiss army knife?
Cook’s Warehouse and Community Q both have knife sharpeners on certain days.
Ms. L. and I can vouch for the Cook’s Warehouse service. Like Ace, they seem to send them out. But they come back sharp!
Cook’s Warehouse has someone who comes by on Wednesday mornings to do the sharpening–it is a mobile operation. You drop the knives off Tuesday afternoon and get them back Wednesday afternoon. I have used the service and the quality of work was good and I thought the price reasonable. I think it was around $5-6 per knife.
Perhaps Intown Ace? They seem to have everything. And if they don’t sharpen knives, then they should!
Intown Ace has a knife sharpening service where they send the knifes off to another place for sharpening. The whole process takes about a week–so don’t sent all your knives at once! I have used this service several times & have been very pleased.
Anyone else have trouble with the service at Kauffman Tire lately? I’ve been going there for years and lately my experiences have been awful. Been upsold unnecessary parts/services (confirmed by other mechanics), paid for an expensive part that was never installed and have had to take my car back 5 times now for the same problem (A/C not working). Would love to take it elsewhere but I’ve already paid them $700 to fix it!
Never used them for anything except tires and had good experience. Anything else i go to Decatur Pure.
Have used them for years and last time I went I had another good experience.
Had a bad experience there a few months ago after several years of great service. I probably won’t go back. Actually, I’m not even sure if I’m legally allowed to go back. Like I said, it was bad…
Yeah, same here (on the attempt for unnecessary upsales).
If you want to change, we’ve gone to Mobley Tire near the Avondale MARTA station (heading east on Ponce, just pass Sam’s crossing, first street on the left). Really old school. Prompt service, good people, good prices. Both of my auto shops recommended them for tires, and we’ve been going since.
Does anyone have a recommendation for a good psychiatrist in the metro Atlanta area, one that actually spends time with patients rather than taking the “fast food” approach?
I’ve been going for many years to the big private mental health provider on Winn Way (trying not to name names, but I think many folks will know which office I’m talking about.) They were fine until they initiated a big medication switch, which has not gone well. Now I’m having a lot of trouble getting them to respond to my emergency needs.
Thanks!
You might try Roy Sanders. Here’s his website: http://decaturfamilypsychiatry.com/about/dr-roy-q-sanders/
I have no experience of him professionally, but I do know him and think highly of him. Also, a friend of mine takes her son to him, and if she trusts him with her son, then I would trust him with anybody.
Dr. Greg Haley on North Decatur Road. He is excellent, can see you on the same day as needed and is one of the most compassionate doctors I have ever met. He’s also a medication genius.
http://www.alianzagh.com/
Stay away from Winn way. You know what you are talking about; let me second it.
Does anyone have any bubble wrap they need taken off their hands?
Yes! I do! About 9 linear feet of bubble wrap that’s about 1 foot wide. It’s the kind with the big bubbles. Email me at [email protected] within the next few days if you’re interested.
Email sent, please check your junk., It’s from my gmail so it may end up there. Thank you so much!!!!
Anyone have a locksmith recommendation? I need some locks replaced and repaired. Thanks!
Decatur Lock and Key has worked well for us. (The one across from Taqueria del Sol.)
Second the rec for Decatur Lock & Key. Prompt, honest, and reasonably priced.
I really hate walking past the Art Institute’s little parking lot anymore during the day. For some reason people love to unload their passengers in the middle of the sidewalk. I wish I had a buck for every time I have had to walk around a car, sometimes stationary, sometimes moving.
It may not be an option for those of us in the gray-beard set but I strongly recommend all petulant teens begin climbing across the hoods of such cars at every available opportunity. Wearing Doc Martens, if at all possible.
I have some pet peeves. Does anyone have a recommendation for the best place to air them?
I heard something about an upcoming Kvetching Festival.
Festivus in July
Lots of pet places on east Ponce and DeKalb Industrial area.
You can have your peeve groomed while you wait, or nurtured lovingly over several days. Like anything else, the bigger peeves cost more, as they tend to be problematic for the caregivers. Little peeves are much easier to manage (so much so that I suspect they’re often ignored altogether.)
Good luck.
You are my hero.
This post made my overly stressed day of work about +1000 better. Thanks for the true LOL.
Decaturish
Hey, what do folks think of some of the controversies involving that blog?
You mean the one involving the other newspaper posting Decaturish’s story? Or the cyberbullying claim by Avondale’s mayor?
For the first, I really don’t know. Journalism rules (written and unwritten) and ethics aren’t my forte, so I don’t know what to think. Also, we’re mainly getting just one side of the argument (although the editor did post in the comments section), so I have held my opinion.
For the second, this one will be interesting to watch. One never knows on whom to bet when it’s a fight between government and the press.
Re: the battle between AE and Decaturish, I’m not sure who will win, but I’m pretty sure it’s the public that loses. There is value in open government and what appears to be a petty squabble really doesn’t serve that end, no matter what either side says.
I don’t think one can rightly call them “controversies” so much as “kerfuffles”…either way, they’re certainly not boring, are they?
I’ve a bit of journalism experience — 30-plus years — and I can tell you that the theft of his story was an outrageous violation of standards — no gray area whatsoever. And the Georgia Press Association’s refusal to get involved in his behalf was a shameful show of cowardice.
+1. Intellectual property theft. Simple as that.
Amen. It’s not a controversy or a kerfuffle. It’s jaw-droppingly appalling.
If you don’t mind your opinion being thoroughly ignored I would recommend the next city commission meeting.
BOOM! *drops mic*
This totally made me laugh out loud, which is quite an accomplishment considering the frustrating, demotivating, embittering and resentment-inducing day I’m having so far at my place of employment. Thank you, Keith F and responders.
Open City Hall.
Take your peeves and opinions and toss them in the trash where your commissioners threw them.
Dang, someone beat me to it
Can we discuss property valuations tax purposes?
Seems to be a lot of inconsistency in valuations, especially in light of all the teardowns. The house behind us was built about 5 years ago – the process was the current owners bought the home, then had it torn down and built a new one. We bought our house last year [not a teardown] at current market prices. The house behind us is about 40% bigger than ours and about 100% better. Lot size is about the same. City of Decatur installment one taxes for the house behind us are about 60% of our taxes.
I believe our house is fairly valued, but the house behind us is significantly undervalued. Does anyone know if the City is considering taking any steps to address these inequities? Seems to be an inherent unfairness in the process.
The county handles property appraisals. There was a huge mess about two years ago, search the DM archives for “DeKalb Tax Assessments” and you’ll see a bunch of posts and comments.
The City can press the County to do new appraisals. Maybe the City can also start/improve communication to the county once Certificates of Occupancy are issued for the new builds/reno’s, which may prompt a swing-by of the appraisers.
Agree. I understand the county does the appraisals, but the City surely has some responsibility for accuracy and equity. Looking at the number of teardowns in Oakhurst and along Sycamore between Ponce and Forkner the problem is going to get worse. Why should people in $800-900k teardowns pay half what someone in a $500k bungalow pay?
The City relies 100% on the county assessments. I know someone will correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the City decided a few years ago that the costs to run an assessor’s office exceed the lost tax revenue from any temporary undervalued assessments.
Those properties will be reassessed in time. It is common for a house not to be immediately reassessed after a sale.
“a few years ago” is more like 20.
It would seem like the city would have some responsibility, but from my experience, they don’t want to get involved. Having farmed out that work — and the accompanying headaches/complaints — to DeKalb County years ago (I think my history is correct), I doubt they’re interested in getting back into that business.
As far as fairness goes, it’s very rare when a homeowner complains to the County that their evaluation is too low. Unless they incorrectly assume it hurts the market value of their home.
Also, having been through the County’s protest/reassessment process once or twice, it works OK. Tedious and drawn out, but it works.
When we lived in Old Fourth Ward years ago we had a similar problem with our valuation. All the houses on our street were nearly identical, yet because my wife bought the house when the market was somewhat high, the city/county view us as “fair game” and pegged our taxes much higher than any of the neighbors. We appealed and reluctantly got some relief but there was an obvious lack of willingness to have everyone’s taxes be at the same level, either by lowering ours or raising those around us). Meanwhile the police detective who long ago inherited the rental house next to us (and added an unreported bathroom and bedroom, to boot) was/is still paying the same level of taxes as her long-dead aunt.
All houses are periodically reassessed by the county. But, tax assessments come out next week, and you can appeal your taxes then. You should receive info on how to appeal with your assessment, but, if not, it is on the Dekalb Co. Tax Assessor’s website.
And see GM’s post above. There were a lot of screwy assessments a couple of years back and Dekalb’s official response was that they implemented a new system and everything would normalize within a couple of years. Unofficially, they haven’t a clue.
“City of Decatur installment one taxes for the house behind us are about 60% of our taxes”
I forgot to add that the first installment of CoD taxes are based on last year’s assessments. Any adjustments based on current year assessments will be reflected in the second installment.
A lot of people don’t fully realize that the 2 tax bills are not just the first half and the second half of your total bill. It only becomes an issue when there is a significant difference in assessments from one year to the next. As DawgFan mentioned, the first installment bill is based upon the previous year’s assessment because this bill comes out before assessments for the current year are done (typically over the summer). So the second installment is based on the reassessed value in the current year and will include the extra value if the assessment went up, or be less if your value went down. If a prior year’s assessment happened to be done while a tear-down/rebuild was in progress, the first installment of the current year’s bill could be based only upon the value of the land. The second installment will be HUGE to catch up with the new assessed value. Happened to us a few years ago and nearly gave me a heart attack…
taxappealatlanta.com for all of your real tax appeal needs. 20 years experience, 15 year c.o.d resident.
From a conversation with a friend who lives Up North: “The joke is that Decatur is part Berkeley, part Mayberry. These days it’s added part Park Slope, and all three parts are constantly arguing about which one should take precedence.”
given our raging crime problem, we should probably add Kandahar to that matrix too.
I hope that was a joke.
[sniff]
i try so hard to be as absurd as possible . . .
[lip tremble]
but apparently my best isn’t good enough.
#DecaturGonnaDecate
Since the little brim in Avondale lake are to be caught and released only by Avondalers, where does a dad take his boy? Are there fish in the Decatur cemetery pond? Not looking for supper.
Glenlake.
there’s a stocked pond at Emory’s Lullwater Park that, because it’s private, doesn’t require a fishing permit. have taken my son there several times, and now i’m reminded it’s time to go again.
What’s it stocked with? Do you have to have permission?
You’re supposed to be affiliated with Emory (student/employee) to use Lullwater Park. I’ve never had anyone ask, but if you’re fishing, it might be different.
in the few times i’ve been fishing there, i’ve never encountered any problems.
caveat piscator
p.s. bream, bass, perch
Breaking the law
Breaking the law
“Breaking the Law”
-Judas Priest, masters of complex lyrical construction
Can’t speak as to fish, but the boy and I saw a couple of fat crawdads in the cemetery pond.
That big snapping turtle is making a living somehow.
We used to fish at the pond by the Methodist Children’s Home on Columbia. I have no idea if it’s allowed or not but that’s where neighbors told us to go and we were usually not the only ones there.
Attended a formal social event at the Carter Center one evening, and on a pleasant promenade around the pond with my wife discovered a couple of guys with cane poles and cutoff jeans and t-shirts, kind of obscured by the reeds, very unobtrusively fishing for what I assume are koi. Nice venue with view of skyline, and not that far away from Decatur.
The closest (public and legal) place to Decatur I know of is Exchange Park off Columbia Dr. Never been there though. There are a couple of parks in Tucker that allow fishing. Henderson Lake at Henderson Park is pretty nice. Cofer Park is much smaller.
It’s been many years since I’ve been fishing, but I used to pay to fish at Twin Lakes near Rehoboth Baptist Church, just outside I-285 on Lawrenceville Hwy. It’s a county park now (Homestead Park), and I’m not sure if fishing is allowed anymore.
Correction: the park near Rehoboth Baptist is actually called Johns Homestead. It’s a pretty interesting place historically, one of the first homesteads built in DeKalb County. Some of the buildings, which date to circa 1820, are still standing. It’s also supposedly home to one of the oldest trees in the metro area ( a river oak). I read something on their Facebook page about fishing poles being available, so maybe fishing is still allowed there. About 5 miles from downtown Decatur.
This seems pretty great. Had no idea it was even happening. At some point, if people keep making their own booze in the area we’re gonna have to organize a shuttle from downtown to this strip of warehouses.
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/blog/peachtree-plate/2014/05/independent-distilling-co-brews-up-first-whiskey.html
Stone Mountain Park has fishing.
Trying to decide on pediatricians. Any votes for Dr. Doyle or Dr. Herrmann?
Also, any physician recommendations for my spouse?
We love Dr. Doyle and Dr. Kanaan at Oakhurst Pediatrics. Highly highly recommended for both one on one time and service. The docs return the off hours calls promptly. It feels like an old-timey doctor office, in the best ways.
Yes. We go to Dr. Kanaan. Love her. She spends lot of time with us (first time parents) and was great/quick when we called after hours once.
We absolutely love Dr. Doyle. She takes fantastic care of our kids!
It seems to me that we have been overrun by Nissan Leafs (Leaves?) lately.
Yes, it should be Nissan Leaves and Toyota Prii.
It was misprint all along, the car is really a Toyota Pious.
A friend tells me they were selling very poorly until Nissan put them out with ridiculously low lease payments that when combined with tax credits makes ownership almost free.
In terms of seeing them around here, I suppose having a dealer nearby is a factor. Doesn’t it have a rapid charging station or something?
I have always been an advocate of Decatur Public Schools. The quality education, involvement opportunities, and teacher dedication are all first rate.
Then, today, while dropping off a fee for the 800th celebration of the school year, I heard a child say “NEW-kyoo-ler.”
Down the terlet, I tells ya.
I wonder what’s happening with the case against Decatur resident Kaveh Kamooneh, who was charged with stealing electricity to charge his car at a school in Chamblee.
One real advantage of Leaf ownership is a swell parking space at Manuel’s Tavern.
Charges, ahem, were dropped.
It’s important to stay current on local news.
To who ever stole my American flag and the freaking flagpole last night, screw you.
Chai Pani health score in AJC today – 65.
Uh oh, we eat there all the time. But I figure kale fritters right out of the hot fryer ought to be pretty safe, no?
I just looked it up because we ate there on Saturday. It’s fine now. They got re-inspected a few days ago and are back up to par. (if you ate there in early May, it might have been a little iffy, though. Oh well.)
http://atlanta.digitalhealthdepartment.com/dekalb/history.cfm?id=886497
ISO fish pond advice: Anybody have any experience with those pond vacuums that hook up to the garden hose (no electricity), for cleaning muck out of small ponds?