Free-For-All Friday 7/25/14
Decatur Metro | July 25, 2014 | 7:00 amFeel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local topics 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 topics not discussed here over the past week.
Comments close on Monday.
Rival
Marty
trish
Scott
Keith
Don the Don
Don the Don
Chris Billingsley
Decatur Heights Dad
Keith F
treesrock
Kat
AJC Attempts to Explain the “e” in Clairemont Avenue
All quiet on all fronts, I guess. 9AM and no comments yet !
Pretty good overview of the Battle of Atlanta at the AJC site today, with lots of great infographics. battleofatlanta dot myajc dot com.
thanks for sharing that — very well done
Cool, thank you! And, not behind a paywall…
Sign for Arepa Mia next to Piece of Cake. Anyone know when it is scheduled to open?
Hey DM, long time listener, first time caller.
Thinking of building a carport over an existing slate gravel parking pad behind our home in 30317. Our cars typically look like we’ve pulled out of a jungle when we exit our driveway. Would like it to match style of the house and generally look decent too. I’d appreciate any recommendations for contractors or whoever may do a good job with this.
I’ll hang up and listen.
Give Rhoen and Randall Carlson with Archetype builders a call. They’re good guys and have a great crew. They have done several projects for us (big renovation and added a porch for us as well). We have been talking to them about doing a carport too. We plan on using them for the work once we free up some more funds.
http://www.archetypebuilders.com/
Penn carpentry is a great all service outfit. They did a major renovation for us. I know they do lots of new construction projects as well. Very dependable.
Arepa Mia sign has appeared on E. College in the strip where Piece of Cake and Trackside are. Hope that %$#@ parking situation doesn’t hurt them!
The %$#@ parking situation isn’t as bad as the %$#@ people who don’t respect the entrance and block it with their vehicles.
I expect that will happen around the same time that the northbound traffic on Candler starts respecting the balk lines at that intersection, so that buses can turn onto Candler from E. College and not get stuck in mid-turn.
Wonder if anyone has ever suggested that the balk lines for both lanes get placed south of the entrance to that parking lot, with a big “STOP HERE” sign? That would be really helpful for pedestrians as well. That whole intersection is a bear.
Anyone know what the Microsoft event was this past Wednesday? I walked up to the square and saw a professional camera crew packing up. Noticed 246, Iberian Pig, and Cakes & Ale all closed for private parties, and 246 had a sign welcoming Microsoft.
MSFT is holding a big internal conference (www.msmgx.com). They had most of the GWCC booked and big parties and events downtown. Must’ve made it out to Decatur, too!
That is great Decatur is starting to snag some of the big GWCC convention dollars- congrats to who ever in Decatur who is helping to make that happen!
Anybody got a badge laminating machine I could use to make some badges today? Yes, I do need some stinking badges.
Nevah mind. I’m gonna buy one.
Saw that Brick Store got a 96 on their followup inspection, so JT will have to find some other reason to mock us beer snobs.
Don’t you worry. I have no shortage of such reasons.
That’s a shame to hear, Twains:
http://www.artsatl.com/2014/07/breaking-news-twains-boots-joe-gransdens-popular-tuesday-jazz-jam-set-month/
Hopefully Joe Gransden will keep it INDIE-CATUR.
that seems like it was a long time coming. Live jazz doesn’t really seem to fit with the current vibe there, which is a little, uh, hipp(st)er.
Decatur kinda sucks for live music. Except for Eddie’s, which is fairly pricy most nights (Open Mic Night excepted), music is pretty spotty around town. Used to be lots more at Kavarna, and Big Tex’s hasn’t been doing much.
Then again, it would probably be hard to hear the music over the roar of the self-involved crowd.
Nailed it.
Yeah, we’re here to eat and drink expensive drinks, not to be disturbed by… music….
Twain’s isn’t exactly expensive. And it isn’t exactly quiet on busy nights–music or not. But I guess even on Tuesday nights twenty-somethings would rather stand around shouting at each other about nothing of any importance and not have to shout over a genre of music with a generally very old demographic.
Harbour Pub has music out back some nights
Are there any Mexican joints nearby that bring in an occasional mariachi band?
Coyote’s used to, haven’t been in a while so don’t know if they still do.
Can we dialog about the proposed R-50 zoning?
Is it unrealistic or overly optimistic of me to wonder if there would be a developer out there willing to build smaller bungalows so that we can put some affordable housing (that’s not attached housing not that even that is affordable) back in Decatur?
I know that it’s a free market out there, but maybe require that x% of permits fit this category?
Or require the major builders/house tear downers to have a certain % of these?
It’s difficult, because as size increases so does the profit margin (a big garage doesn’t really cost any more to build than a smaller one, but can drive up the price). To the extent that there is “affordable” housing being built, almost all the action is in the denser multifamily construction (and mostly rentals). That’s partly because that’s where the market demand is, and partly because, in the case of Decatur, that’s what’s needed.
Yes, it is unrealistic.
Trish, another point: I assume you meant these detached properties would be for sell. I think we have to get away from this notion of subsidizing home ownership over rentals (and not just for affordable housing, either). The reason I say that is because, from what I’ve observed, many people end up in homes that they can “afford”, but then they can’t afford the maintenance, utilities, etc.
You’ve also seen the proposed R-17 zoning too right? That includes the cottage court, grouped small bungalows, which would be even more small dwellings per acre than R-50. The UDO is phrased to indicate that R-50 primarily for existing small lots (5,000 sf or less), but maybe builders could use R-50 as well to build smaller houses– though that would just mean squeezing more houses onto a lot, which I’m not sure makes neighbors any happier than putting a single, much bigger house on the same land. One other thing the UDO does to promote the possibility of affordable housing is to make carriage houses more permissible (they are included in R-60, which I don’t think they were before). Those would be rental properties, but there are a lot of renters looking for something small and in a neighborhood vs. a bigger complex.
If developers don’t go for the cottage court on their own, interested parties could band together to buy a big enough lot and hire a developer to do it for them- you’d get the size and cost of home you want AND get to pick some of your immediate neighbors…
Re Twains and Tuesday night jazz: That stinks! Not clear on what they mean by adding more seating, as there is already seating in that area. Alas, Twain’s is probably the only indoor space in Decatur suitable for the jam. I wonder if there would be any interest in it being an occasional outdoor event, perhaps at Wild Heaven?
From the article, it was clear to me Twain’s intends to get out of the live music business. The additional seating was only part of that equation. I agree with Uri that live music can be an issue for customers if they aren’t expecting it. Seems like one of those things where you are all in or all out. Twains thought they were going all in, but for some reason it did not work out.
Yeah, I see that after completely reading the article. Still, it seems to me the event brings in more customers on a Tuesday night than it would drive away. But I’m sure they know better than me if that’s true or not.
Hey folks – 22 days until this years festival, we still have a few volunteer openings for anyone interested (free shirt, free admission)
Purchase your pre-event (save $$$) tickets as well.
For all the latest information either scroll to the top of DM and click on our banner ad or go to:
http://www.decaturbbqfestival.com
Hey all. Was wondering if anyone has had any recent experience replacing a windshield . Our little window ding turned into a 18 inch crack during our recent road trip to Orlando (it wasn’t Orlando’s fault. I blame the gnats and a well placed swing of an open hand. And the gnat got away, grrrr). The most recent thing I could find on DM was a recommendation in 2011 for Guardian Auto Glass, now part of SafeLite. I know they come to your house or work, but wanted to see if there was a local alternative that wasn’t part of a gigantor corporation.
Also, I understand you can use the comprehensive coverage from your auto insurance to pay for it, but we’ve taken a couple of recent hits on our policy and our premium has gone up a wee bit. Not sure what the impact might be if we make a claim. Long winded, but thanks in advance for your sage advice!
Had one replaced in March by Auto Glass Atlanta: http://www.decaturautoglass.com/. Came to the house and were significantly cheaper than others for same level of service and replacement product.
Web site appearance and reviews there are woefully ancient, but I can absolutely vouch for the service.
If you’ve got an 18 inch windshield crack, you’re going to need to replace the whole window. It’s going to run you about $1500 depending on the make and model of your vehicle. Try Gerber Collision and Glass for a good local
there’s a guy named paco rangsith who replaced my windshield for $165. came to my house. i left him a check and it was done when i got home. am i allowed to post his number here? cause you won’t find it online.
Paco is awesome. I have used him too much recently, softball accident, tree limb, breakin …
Call him: 404 438-5194
My windshield had a crack and needed replacing. I called my insurance company, they said the cost was likely below my $500 deductible and referred me to their preferred vendor (Guardian/SafeLite). The quote was $480 or so. What a coincidence, I thought.
On a hunch, I called Gerber and told them I was paying out of pocket. The quote was under $300. They got my business.
The lesson is to shop around. And if your insurance company isn’t paying, don’t trust their referrals!
My new auto insurance company has a $0 deductible for windshield replacement. I like that feature.
how timely — I just had my windsheild replaced this morning due to catching a stray rock on the interstate last week (I however, do blame Columbia for the problem, just because it’s South Carolina).
Guy in a van met me at my work parking lot downtown and it took him 30 minutes. I’d first looked at Guardian/Safelite but they were $100+ more and a week longer ETA than going thru Gerber Collision. Dude’s truck said “Glass America” so I guess both places just subcontract out for the actual installation. Gerber has a shop on Dekalb Industrial if you don’t opt for the house-call service, but the price was the same and I didn’t want to sit in a waiting room.
I’m not going to submit an insurance claim but Gerber can handle directly if you do want to go that route. Total cost for a replacement on my Ford Escape was under $300. PS, be sure remove/save any parking passes, etc. that are on your cracked window before they start.
When a random tree branch hit and smashed our rear windshield in a parking lot, I called our insurance company and asked if that would affect our rates. In our case, it did not because it had nothing to do with any driver or where we live or work. You might call and ask first. Doing it through our insurance company was amazingly easy. The glass people came to our house and did it when it was convenient for us; all the paperwork and billing was handled by our insurance company.
Thanks all. You guys rock!
Anyone ever fought a ticket? I got a ticket near my house for something I did not do (I swear- it was running a stop sign. I am the crosswalk Nazi of Oakhurst). If I had done it, I would pay. But I want to fight this. Any suggestions? I am thinking of asking for a jury trial. Anyone have any suggestions or insights?
Same thing happened to me in Oakhurst with witnesses in the car who swear I stopped.
Decatur solicitor and a lawyer I contacted said it would still be our word versus the police and guess who the judge would likely believe. I decided it wasn’t worth contesting.
I once showed up ready to fight a speeding ticket, and before he started disposing of cases, the judge flat-out warned everyone that if your plan is to offer your word against the officer’s, you are going to lose. There’s no real credibility determination. The judges have already decided that the officers are completely truthful and you are lying.
So, basically, unless you have some kind of physical evidence with which to impeach the cop, you are out of luck.
Yeah, you’d probably have to have an impartial witness on your side, and even then your chances aren’t great.
Or you are like the trucker, notifying the officer, that he is also being recorded. Changed angry scolding officer into Mr. Rogers in a flash
I got off once (and only time) when my officer didn’t show up,for the hearing.
My husband fought a ticket for a traffic violation and got the fine reduced. He just showed up for his court date and was polite but insistent about his position. Worth a try.
How long ago was that? Tried that myself, the judge made the fine more than if I had just paid it and paid a court fee. They’re really trying to discourage folks from taking it to court.
If the police officer doesn’t show up for the court date, then you win, right? In some jurisdictions, there’s a good chance the officer won’t show up. Not sure about here.
The court staff has a radio handy to call in officers. Don’t know what they do if the officer is off that day or on vacation.
Ah, life has changed since I was last in court.
Note to self to avoid situation.
Decatur officers WILL show up for court dates or management will have very harsh words for them.
I know of at least 2 people this has happened to recently, one of which wasn’t initially pulled over. He dropped a friend off a mile or so down the road and when driving back the same way a few minutes later, the officer stopped and ticketed him. If a ticket was warranted, why let him drive away? At a minimum, it is an extremely lazy officer (“Well, I wasn’t going to chase you down, but since you have fallen in my lap, I guess I will do my job”), which is unacceptable.
Anyway, my point is can you look at your ticket and see who the officer was? I wonder if DPD has one or two officers writing a disproportionate amount of tickets for running stop signs. Not sure if it would constitute a defense, but if enough people all say the same thing, it might reverse the deference of credibility from the police officer to the “offenders”.
Email me the name of the officer to [email protected]
I beat a ticket a few years back when I drove through the crosswalk at DHS. The officer was just standing there, clearly not paying attention to his job or to traffic, and I slowly and cautiously made my turn. When I was alongside him in the intersection, he snapped to attention, shouted at me and wrote me up for failure to yield in a crosswalk.
I told Judge Leitch the same story, told him how how the crosswalk was empty, how my own kids walked to school and used that same crosswalk every day, and pointed out that the officer’s report had a couple of errors in it (license plate no. and vehicle color). I also told him I was really steamed that I had been accused unjustly. And he dismissed it.
I say Fight the Power!
It’s a crappy situation because it’s totally the officer’s word against yours. There’s no silver bullet or magic words. It depends on which judge is presiding and what kind of mood the solicitor is in. If they weren’t reasonable, I’d demand a jury trial and get it into state court. Of course, I’d actually follow through with the jury trial if necessary, because I’m a stubborn ass. But they rarely let it get it that far for a simple traffic violation.
It’s stuff like this that makes me miss Judge Carriere even more…
We are fighting a ticket next week! I spent the morning photographing the intersection and researching FHA and GDOT regs on sign placement. Will let you know how it goes next FFAF.
Curious: how do you get a ticket for running a stop sign and not have done it? Did the officer not see you stop? If it’s your word against the officer, you might have an uphill battle.
I had this happen to me at the stop sign at N Druid Hills and Clairmont. I KNEW I’d stopped and rolled back on my tires, specifically because I’d been warned about that very intersection. The cop ended up just giving me a warning and told me to get the address on my license updated.
officer was nice to do that. i’ve had dpd write that ticket. it’s $100+. i do think that increased neighborhood patrols has led to increased residential traffic stops.
Isn’t it also 2 points on your driving record?
I decided to fight a 4 way stop sign ticket. Officer said I failed to come to a compete stop. I learned you will not win without spending more on a lawyer than the ticket. Ask for a pre-trial meeting with the City Solicitor or plead “nolo contendere”. You will pay the fine no matter what you choose to do. The goal is to avoid the points on your license (3 pts for a stop sign violation). Good luck. By the way IMO our City Solicitor is an a”hole!
2 quibbles here. One, Larry usually isn’t an ass unless you’re one to him first. Two, pleading nolo doesn’t really help you unless there’s an accident involved or you already have 12 points on your license and would be facing a suspension because of the points. Otherwise, the nolo plea is still reported to DDS and will show up on your history. Your insurance company doesn’t care about the arbitrary point values DDS assigns to violations, just whether or not there’s a conviction. A nolo plea acts as a conviction. The real goal, if you can’t get the ticket dismissed, is to plead to something that doesn’t get reported to DDS, like a basic rules violation, too fast for conditions, or a local ordinance.
Than I guess I got Larry on a special night. All I did was plead not guilty. I had a adult witness in the car with me. As it was my wife, her testimony was not accepted as convincing. I was found guilty. The Judge asked him if he wanted to let me off on the points. This was my first ticket in over 20 years. His speech denying the request is the basis of my opinion of him. Overall impression was the Court was bothered that I had asserted my innocince and fought the ticket. The interaction between the Judge and Larry and the Officer was so rehearsed I almost found it amusing.
Well see, you WERE an ass for wanting to exercise your constitutional rights
But in all seriousness, and for future reference, that’s why you also need to exercise your right to a jury trial, to get the case into state court and in front of a judge and solicitor who are not so buddy-buddy either with each other or with the cops.
.
I knew my insurance company was not going to ding me for the ticket. I obviously did not really know what I getting into. Thanks for the expert advice. I hope to never have to use it!
It was two stop signs- the pair at Mead and Oakview. Both have dead ends in front of them. I stopped at both – it is impossible not to and I have been stopping at those signs for 20 years on my way from work. She claims I sped through both of them. It is a flat out lie. I am well known around here for yelling at people running stop signs and also worked with Deoborah Chapman a couple years ago to try to get more patrols around those signs. The cop is lying or gravely mistaken. I am asking for a jury trial and I already have lawyers to help.
I questioned her repeatedly as to whether this was a rolling stop. She refused to answer other than I ran through both. I would have accepted stopping short or a rolling stop- everyone can get distracted.But I did not run those signs.
Looking for a job in decatur area, where do I turn? Background in admin, customer service and hospitality mgmt. Want to stay close to home son is entering Kindergarten.
Small business idea: a service that retrieves grocery store and Walmart shopping carts from near bus stops and other areas and returns them for a fee.
BTW, is the new Walmart going to have those sensors that prevents the carts from being removed from the lot?
Some stores used to pay for returned carts. Until they found people were stealing the carts and turning them in for the reward.
Are there really sensors on the carts? I always thought it was a fake warning to prevent theft. How would the sensor be powered?
There’s warnings on the carts? I never even noticed the warnings!
I believe it works like an electric fence and the wheels lock up when it’s crossed. They have them at the Chamblee Walmart.
Hey Everyone!
I am new to the area and love the friendliness and convenience that downtown Decatur has to offer. I have found that my second favorite area to visit is the Emory Promenade on the corner of N. Decatur and Clairmont. I mean where else can I go get some tasty Mexican food at Los Laras, pick up a growler at Taps, and get the best haircut I have had in years for only $17 at Emory Haircutters Barber Shop. I am all about keeping it in the area and supporting the local businesses.
I went to Los Laras for lunch today while doing my rounds because I wasn’t quite pleased with the sushi at Yami Sushi. It wasn’t horribly bad, but it just seemed a little off. Does anybody know of another place where I can score some quality sushi in the area?
Unfortunately, not really. Probably will have to go to Midtown or Buckhead. My favorite is Sushi House Hawakawa, but it’s even further, in Doraville. IMO,the places around Decatur are just OK. You might like the one in Toco Hill..the name escapes me, but it’s not bad.
Bottle Rocket on Walker St. in SW Atlanta
+1 on Bottle Rocket. Haven’t been there in ages
Miso is closer and just as yummy. Plus, the duck buns.
Can’t wait for Guy Wong to be in Decatur
I don’t eat disgusting, icky seafood but many of my “foodie” friends who would know about such things think Sushi Avenue downtown is A-OK.
Sushi Avenue on Ponce is better than the square
Agreed! The one on the square always smells like they don’t change their cooking oil often enough. I think the one on Ponce does a pretty good job. Also a fan of Zuma on N. Highland, but that might have something to do with it being the first date I had with my now wife.
Actually, Zuma was the Toco Hill place (their other location) whose name I couldn’t think of. And the N.Highland Zuma was where my wife and I had our second date! Our first date was at a now-closed Thai place on Clairmont…the name of which I forget but it was in the Williamsburg shopping center, I think.
Sushi Avenue is very good
Super fun yard sale!!!!
SATURDAY 26 JULY–9a
Kids’ stuff. Sporting goods. Tools. Treats. General wackiness.
128 Oakland Street
Decatur, GA 30030
Traffic question: if I am at the light at Wilton and Clairmont turning right onto Clairmont, the red light I see immediately upon turning is for the southbound cars on Clairmont and not me, right?
All red lights are for you, all the time. All green lights are for me.
STG, how should we divvy up the yellows? I’ll take even days, you take odds?
Whoever gets there first, of course. (How long have you been driving in Atlanta, anyway?)
I normally use astral projection and conduct business through my spirit pigeon, but sometimes you just have to get out for a beer in the flesh.
+1
That red light is not for you. When you turn right onto Clairemont, keep going (either by turning onto Michigan Ave. or continuing onto Clairemont. It is a bit confusing though, so your question is justified! I’ve seen many people get stuck in that intersection not knowing what to do.
Our Decatur Cadette Troop is working on a Silver Award to bring fresh fruits and veggies to Decatur Seniors. The project is called The Purple Farmers Market.
If you would like to donate homegrown fruits or veggies, please email me at Kathysgirlfridayatgmaildotcom
Our collection day is Thursday and distribution on Friday August 1st.
I was shocked to see the turn over in teachers at Glenwood. Both of my kids got teachers new to the system. About half of teachers are new to Decatur. I don’t believe the Westchester school stole any staff. What’s up with that? Is this occurring at the other schools?
Personnel reports for new hires, separations and reappointments are published monthly in the eboard docs. You can get a clearer picture of staff here than from school websites this early in the year.
June 2014 (more published in July)
https://eboard.eboardsolutions.com/meetings/TempFolder/Meetings/Board%20Consent%20Personnel%20Report_537305kraftlmxqccrfmjts055f0vh.pdf
Just skimming that, it looks like the elementaries all kept on about 24-26 teachers, lost 3-4, and maybe had a couple transfer over to Westchester?
Personnel reports for new hires, separations and reappointments are published monthly in the eboard docs. You can get a clearer picture of staff here than from school websites this early in the year.
I posted the web address for board personnel for June 2014 and got stuck in moderation. See if you can follow this trail. On the CSDecatur home page find the link for eboard. Select meetings and the June regular meeting. Find the superintendent consent link and then personnel report.
APS pays more
I love your name. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it first.
Is there advice or a magic spell for getting a response or service from the Decatur Post Office? They have stopped delivering mail to my house. I’ve only lived here since 1978.